We finally got to try the Beef Wellington tonight (I originally put them together here). I loved that they were so easy to cook – they went straight from the freezer to the oven and were done in just over an hour.
– The recipe says to cook the wellingtons to 110 degrees. I like my beef a little less bloody, so 130 to 140 degrees is appropriate for me. Larry said that the blue cheese overpowered the flavor of everything else. I used a very mild blue cheese (Point Reyes Blue). I agreed, and next time, I’ll leave out the cheese. I’m not a big fan of mixing meat and cheese. Other than that, they were really good. The pastry was excellent, flaky and buttery. We shared one wellington between us.
– I had a delicata squash sitting in the pantry, and I really didn’t know what to do with it. It was excellent this way. I have a sugar loaf squash also, and I found out that it’s a type of delicata. I’m going to do it the same way (peel it, scrape out the seeds, scrape it in rounds, sauté¥ it in some olive oil, and top with salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Individual Beef Wellingtons with Mushroom, Spinach and Blue Cheese Filling (Fine Cooking #42, January 2001, p. 40)
- Delicata Squash Rings (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Deborah Madison, p. 440)
- Baby arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Wine: Cinnabar 1999 Syrah (Lodi, California). Yummy! We have one more bottle. Well-balanced and concentrated, very fruity for a Syrah.