Sometimes you find yourself wanting a dish that's a bit labor intensive or heavy for a Summer evening, but you just can't shake the craving. This happening to me recently and I couldn't get the idea of a Beef Wellington out of my mind.



Sweltering in the New England Summer, I knew in my heart of hearts I did not want to prepare, bake and eat a fillet of beef stuffed with mushrooms and wrapped in pastry, but I really, really wanted it.

Hence the naked version, a nod to the rich mushroomy flavours in a more Summer appropriate guise.


Ingredients: Serves 2, or 4 when paired with generous sides

1 large sirloin steak (when I say large, I mean large. This one was the size of both my hands spread out... Britain, you may need two steaks)
1 pint punnet of chestnut mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons heavy/double cream
Salt and pepper

Method:

Roughly chop the mushrooms and finely slice the garlic. Melt the butter in a frying pan and when it begins to froth throw in the mushrooms, fry for a minute or two before adding the garlic. Fry on a medium heat until tender and the juices of the mushrooms have begun to reabsorb. Turn down the heat and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes before adding the cream, salt and pepper. Cook until the cream and mushrooms juices have reduced to a thick sauce.

Remove form the heat and transfer to a blender or bowl if you use a stick blender. Blend into a fine paste then pop into the fridge to cool and set for about 20 minutes.

Lay out the steak on a large board and cover with cling film or waxed paper. Using a tenderising mallet or rolling pin, beat out the steak until it is an even 1/2-3/4 inch thick.

Slice the steak into 4 rectangles that are no less than 3 inches wide and about 8 inches in length.

When the mushroom mixture is cool, divide it into 4 blobs and spread evenly over the surface of the steaks. Roll the steaks into pinwheels then set on their side in a baking dish. Chill for 10 minutes then pop into a hot oven at 350F for about 20 minutes, this will give you a lovely medium finish, cook longer if you prefer it well done.

Serve up with a baked potato and green vegetables, or these Duke Potatoes if you are feeling a bit more indulgent!