BEEF EN CROUTE
(shamelessly nicked from Delia, with a few alterations)

Pastry: 6oz plain flour / 4oz butter
(make as per my flaky pastry recipe)

Filling:
1 3/4lb thick end fillet steak
(although just beef roasting joint works fine)
A tablespoon of brandy
2ox Butter
1 onion
12oz mushrooms
Grated nutmeg
1 egg (beaten)
salt & pepper to taste

Takes about 2 hours to prepare and cook.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 (190C)

2. Make up the pastry, pop it into a polythene bag, and chill in a
fridge for 30 minutes.

3. In the meantime, trim all the excess fat and sinew off the meat.
Brush it all over with the brandy, run 10g butter over it, place in a
roasting tin and cook for 40 minutes – baste it every now and then with
the juices. Then remove from the oven and leave for an hour to cool and
relax. Save the meat juices for the gravy.

4. Chop the onion and mushrooms finely, and melt the remaining button
in a saucepan. Stir the onion into it allowing it to cook for 5
minutes, then stir in the mushtroomw. Continue to cook it over a gentle
heat (without a lid) for approx. 25 minutes so that the juices are
drawn out of the mushrooms and onion, and evaporate. Season it then
with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

5. When meat and mixture are ready, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8
(230C). Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out nice and thin,
then cut it into a rectangle keeping the trimmings for decoration.
Place over a baking tray (so you don’t have to move it while full!).

6. Spread half the mushroom mix over the centre, place the meat on top
of that, then add the remaining mix on the top. Pat it down into a good
shape.

7. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, and wrap it all
up like a parcel over the meat. Then brush the top of the whole lot to
give it a nice yellow glaze.

8. Bake in the oven for a further 30 minutes at gas mark 8 (230C). Cut
it into thick slices, and knock together some gravy made from the meat
juices and a small smidgen of red wine.

Enjoy!