Just spent a day Christmas shopping. Whilst lying in bed reading the news on the (crappy) Samsung tablet (why didn’t I get an i-Pad) it suddenly dawned on me that if I didn’t get off my arse and go shopping today then I wasn’t going to get another chance. And that wouldn’t do. A lot of disappointed sproglets, and don’t even get me started on the wife’s reaction.
So I went right on in to town. Battled the hoards. The squealing brats with their uncouth parents smoking fags and swearing at each other. Sulky youths trudging around. But I did it. I purchased things for about 10 people. It is done. No more! And to celebrate I created this sumptious creation – courtesy of my favourite Hairy Bikers!
Pork Wellington is an interesting alternative to the normal beef variety. Or the salmon en croute one. It contains black pudding. But don’t let that put you off. Black pudding, for the uninitiated, is made of grains, fat and blood. But come on, so are many other things. They just hide the fact by calling themselves ‘pies’ or ‘burgers’ and so forth.
So to create a delicious pork wellington (served with a creamy apple sauce) you will need:
The Jack Daniels Honey has nothing to do with this recipe. I tried it (obviously). It tasted of honey. A lot of honey.
- 2oz butter
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6oz chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- salt and pepper
- 1 pork fillet
- ½ black pudding
- plain flour
- 1 pack puff pastry
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Braeburn apple
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3½fl oz chicken stock
- sage
- 2fl oz dry sherry
- 9fl oz whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 190 centigrade.
Fry the onion in some oil and butter until softened. Add the mushroom and garlic and cook until the mushroom has dried out, season. Put in a bowl and set aside.
Cut the pork fillet down its length, making sure not to cut right through. Stuff the fillet with some strips of black pudding and secure with toothpicks.
Brown the fillet all over to seal in the pan then set aside.
Roll out the pastry and trim to the size of a magazine cover.
Lay the slices of ham on top of the pastry, then spread the mushroom mixture on top of the ham.
Place the pork fillet in the centre of the pastry.
Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg, then wrap the pastry around the pork fillet.
Press the ends of the pastry together to seal. Decorate the top with pastry offcuts, then brush all over with more beaten egg.
Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 30 mins.
While that is baking, add oil to the pan and fry the apple slices for a few mins, until softened.
Add the Dijon mustard, chicken stock, sage leaves and sherry and bring the mixture to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the cream until warmed through and season. Remove the wellington from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins.
Serve with new potatoes and some greenery!
Filed under: Baking, Britain, Pork
