Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Experimental Cookery Tuesday #46: Minced Beef Wellington

When I first got the book and looked through the recipes, it was this one that most caught my eye as something I wanted to try. When, last week, we reached the point where this was next on the list, I found myself somewhat apprehensive. I wasn't the complexity of the dish that was a factor, since it isn't hugely difficult, but rather the cooking time. It needed an hour in the oven, which meant not eating until 7:30 - rather a hardship when one gets home at 5:30 tired and hungry.

Still, I persevered. As I have said before (though not here, I think), it is the rules that we make for ourselves that are the most important, and that meant I had to do something towards the book this week. And, frankly, one evening is as good as another, especially since I am out all weekend, and so lacking in opportunity to put things right then.

Anyway, although it proved quite time consuming, the process of putting together the Wellington was fairly straight-forward. And once it went into the oven, that was the task essentially done. I spent the next hour productively making lunch and reading the latest Bond novel.

It turned out that the Minced Beef Wellington was essentially a giant Cornish Pasty. There's no great harm in that - I do quite like Cornish Pasties - but it wasn't really the revelation I had expected. (Truth be told, though, that seemed unlikely in a chapter on mince.)

Still, it was nice enough. One to have again, I think, although one to have with company, rather than to eat alone for four days. I'll give him the win; that's 4-0 on "Homely Mince". (That said, both the curry and stir-fry chapters still have the edge. There has been nothing here that has really sold this chapter, yet.)

The next one is supposed to be "Pot Roast Meatloaf", which comes highly recommended. However, for reasons to convoluted to go into here, I'm going to skip that one, and instead proceed to the "Bolognese Sauce". (I have a girl coming around, and spaghetti bolognese fits better than a pot roast. Oh, there you go - turned out they weren't too convoluted.)

Anyway, must dash. I'm supposed to be cleaning three rooms tonight, and I have done a grand total of none of them!

#29: "Goldfinger", by Ian Fleming

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