Sure, you might not get away with covering the entire turkey with your favorite Mad Dog 357 Pepper Puree at Christmas.
That doesn’t mean you can’t make a meaty main that will blow the lid off this year’s Christmas feast.
This recipe for six looks as good as it tastes. Well, almost. It’s frightfully difficult to compete with the perfect blend of mushrooms and Naga Morich peppers, of beef and flaky pastry. You can try, of course, but this really is a dish to wow a crowd on all fronts.
Give it a go, you’ll see what we mean.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Mad Dog 357 Naga Morich Pepper Puree
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 pounds Beef tenderloin, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1½ pounds Mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 Shallot (or small onion), quartered
1 sprig Thyme leaves
2 tablespoons Butter
12 slices Prosciutto
Flour, for dusting
1 package (14 oz) Puff pastry, thawed if frozen
1 Egg, beaten
Salt, for sprinkling
Preparation
In a small bowl, combine the Mad Dog 357 Naga Morich Pepper Puree with the mustard and set aside.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. If it’s thicker in some parts than in others, tie it with kitchen twine to even out the thickness.
Heat a glug of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the beef and sear on all sides, until browned all over (about 2 minutes per side). Remove the beef from the skillet and transfer to a plate. When cool, remove the twine (if needed) and smear the Naga Morich mustard on all sides. Transfer the plate to the fridge to cool.
Place the mushrooms, shallot, and thyme leaves in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Add the butter to the skillet and then the mushroom mix. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the moisture, has evaporated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on your counter – making sure it’s big enough to wrap around the beef and hold it tightly. Arrange the prosciutto on the plastic wrap, overlapping it so the area covered is just big enough to wrap around the beef. Spread the mushroom mixture over the prosciutto and then place the chilled beef at one end of the prosciutto and mushroom surface. Use the plastic wrap to roll everything up tightly, being sure to tuck the prosciutto under each other as you work. Place this in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sprinkle a little flour on your counter and roll out the puff pastry so that it’s big enough to accommodate the wrapped beef. Unroll the plastic wrap from your beef and place this log along one end of the pastry. Tightly roll the pastry around the beef, trim excess pastry, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with salt. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes for medium to medium-rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.
