"About Wellington beef 2" Topic

John Malkovich recites his beef wellington recipe

"Some think this classic British dish emerged from Wellington's fondness for a beef fillet covered in foie gras pâté and mushrooms and cooked in pastry (the ham and mustard must have come in later). Some believe it was a PR stunt similar to the Americans renaming French Fries "Freedom Fries", with England appropriating a French classic during the Napoleonic Wars. Some even believe it was an American or Kiwi dish. In any case, there is no evidence of the dish being eaten during either the Duke's lifetime or the rest of the 19th century."

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Amicalement
Armand

Does this have anything apposite to Napoleonic wargaming?

I can post a chicken Marengo recipe in the interests of balance.

I remember a story about some British officers, veterans of Waterloo, who got together on one of the anniversaries. One of them had found his old journal in which he had noted what they had as breakfast on the morning of the battle. They all remembered it as being one of the best meals they had ever had so the host had his cook prepare the same dish for the evening's meal. Whatever it was it turned out to be quite disgusting and almost inedible. Hunger on the day and the tendency of the military mind to only remember the best of times had played them false. I think any soldier will be able to identify with this incident.

It's a "Napoleonic Discussion" board……

You may recall he (John Malkovich) played Wellington in a truly awful film set in the Peninsula………a propos of absolutely nothing of course…….

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

At the end… anyone like to eat the Wellington Beef?… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

It is actually Beef Wellington….English language can be very strange, here reversing what you would expect.

A hunk of beef and pate coating, in a lattice pastry casing and usually so badly done as to be inedible. The sort of thing that ex public school types eat at reunions, as they become increasingly inebriated, whilst vying to outdo each other in their crassness and lack of true breeding.

Which has not one thing to do with any forum on this site of course……….

My Mother used to make an excellent Beef Wellington and that tasted delicious…

The secret is about locking in the taste.

And any old hunk of beef won't cut it. It's got to be a cylinder of the freshest, tenderest beef, taken from just under the spine.

You scald it for a few seconds in oil to give it a seal. Then you wrap it in layers of flavour.

Lay grease-proof paper or cling film on the table to help lift, wrap, squeeze and contain each new layer around the beef and then each time put it in the fridge in the film for five to fifteen minutes to absorb the flavour and to settle.

The best layers begin with: as Malovich tells us, English mustard. Then a pancake of chopped chestnuts and wild mushrooms with chives pan-cooked to get rid of the water and laid on Palma ham. The last layer is puff pastry coated in egg.

Baked at 392 degrees F for just over half an hour. Crispy heaven on a dish.

Shall we re-enact the Pot-au-feu scene from Sharpe's Enemy? Bagsy I get Elizabeth Hurley.

Now that sounds wonderful and far better than the supermarket version!

Makes me hungry just to think of it……….

Many thanks!….

Amicalement
Armand