Isabelle's Christmas recipe of the month: Old Vine Shiraz & Beef Wellington

December 09, 2020

Beef Wellington paired with Eddies Old Vine 2017 Shiraz.

Tasting Notes: Eddies Old Vine 2017 Shiraz

• Colour: dark purple/red
• Nose: A rich and fruity note of blueberries and fresh red plum with some liquorish and meaty fragrances.
• Palate: In harmony with the nose with a good acidity. The palate is silky and round with well integrated tannins leading us toward dark chocolate, toffee and smokey meaty flavours. As anticipated the finish is uber-long which leaves you wanting another sip.
• It’s a delight for all our senses and an incredibly balanced wine, perfect for any festive season and refined dishes.

Our Eddies Shiraz 2017 is a wonderful blend of our 3 oldest Shiraz vineyards. It can be enjoyed now, however we recommend decanting or opening it a few hours before pouring. Or you could wait another 15 years to experience its full potential.

Pairing wine with the food:

The Beef Wellington combination highlights the wine's flavours, acidity and tannin to perfection.

The creaminess of the mash with the strength of the Brie adds an extra layer of pleasure for your taste buds.

The roasted Butternut brings some gentle sweetness to the pairing and the red wine sauce just crowns the dish perfectly.

Wow...This really is the summary of an incredible wine and food match.

Our food and wine match of the month:

Beef Wellington, brie mashed potatoes, roasted butternut and red wine sauce

Serves 6/8 people

• 900g to 1kg beef filet
• 500g mushrooms
• 12 slices prosciutto or Parma ham
• 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 375g puff pastry (I used “Careme Pastry”)
• 1 beaten egg yolk
• 4 medium purple shallots, finely chopped
• 15 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 1 bay leaf
• 375ml red wine, we used our “Bachelor 2018”
• 300ml homemade or good quality beef stock
• 1 tablespoon full cream
• 8 medium size potatoes or about 1 kg
• 70g butter
• 100ml milk
• 75g ripe Brie, it represents about half a small wheel ( I used BVCC Triple Cream)
• 1 whole Butternut Pumpkin, about 900g, peeled and cut in 4-5 cm cubes
• 2 teaspoon of dried pizza herbs or mixed herbs
• Olive oil and vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Make the Beef Wellington: It can be made a day ahead of the final step.

• Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large frypan and sear beef, cooking 1 minute or until coloration appears on each side. Rest on a plate. While the meat is hot, salt and pepper generously and brush wholegrain mustard on each side. Set aside to cool.
• In a large frying pan, add 50g butter, 2 finely chopped shallots and 5 sprigs of thyme. Cook until the shallots are translucent but not browned. In the meantime, put the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. Scrape the paste into the pan and cook over a high heat for about 8/10 mins, tossing frequently, to cook out the moisture from the mushrooms. Spread out on a plate to cool.
• Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface (a rectangle of 400mm by 600mm, roughly). Arrange the Prosciutto slices on it, in slightly overlapping rows, 6 rows of 2 slices, to create a rectangle shape smaller than the cling wrap. With the back of a tablespoon, spread the mushroom paste over the ham in a thin layer, then place the seared beef fillet in the middle.
• Keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the edge, neatly roll the Prosciutto and mushrooms around the beef to form a nice, evenly thick log. Twist the ends of the cling film to secure. Roll it while twisting the ends to form a tight package. Chill for 30 minutes to allow the beef to set and keep its shape.
• Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface (a rectangle of 400mm by 600mm, roughly). Place the puff pastry on top of the cling wrap. Remove the cling film from the beef, then lay in the centre of the pastry. Brush the surrounding pastry with egg yolk. Lift the plastic wrap up and roll the pastry over the beef until the edges meet. Cut excess pastry if needed. Twist the sides of the plastic to create a log. Roll it by holding the sides. This action will create a tight and smooth roll, essential to obtain an even cook.

Final step:

• Preheat a conventional oven to 200C or Fan-forced to 180C.
• Unwrap the Wellington, discard the plastic and smooth the ends. Turn over, so the seam is underneath, and place on a baking sheet. Use the back of a knife to gently score the Wellington to create a decorative pattern. Brush over all the pastry with egg.
• Bake for 25 minutes for rare (30 minutes for pink).
• Make the sauce: It can be made a day ahead until the final step.
• Put 20g butter in a medium/small frypan. Melt it over medium heat and add 2 shallots, 10 sprigs of thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook until just golden.
• Add the wine and bring it to the boil for 2-3 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate. Simmer and reduce for 10 minutes.
• Add the beef stock and continue to reduce until half of the liquid is gone. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
• Strain through a fine sieve, into a small saucepan.
• Final Step: 10-15 minutes before serving, bring the sauce to a boil on low/medium heat. Add the tablespoon of cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper if needed.

Make the mashed potatoes

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel, wash and cut the potatoes in half. Add them to the boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
• Drain the potatoes. Return to the pot and mash them with the butter. Add the milk while stirring until it’s smooth. Add the Brie cut into small pieces and mix well. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Roast the butternut

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Arrange them in an oven-proof dish with a couple tablespoons of olive oil , dried herbs, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until it’s cooked through.
• Serve the Beef wellington sliced alongside the mash and the roasted butternut with the sauce.

Great way to finish:

• Homemade Dark Chocolate Rocky Road if there is any wine left … or open another bottle!

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