This fantastic main course is without doubt amongst family and friend’s favourites. It does take a little time to prepare, but believe me, it is worth the wait. Cooking the fillet beef in a cocoon of Parma ham and mushroom filling, makes for the most tasty, moist and flavoursome steak that you could imagine. Paired with my vegetable recommendation, you cannot fail to impress your guests.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) trimmed fillet of beef
- 1 grated 50 mm (2”) chunk of fresh ginger
- 2 oz (50 g) unsalted butter
- 1 oz (28 g) dried wild mushrooms or porcini
- 10 large slices Parma ham or prosciutto
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- ½ a lemon
- Rapeseed oil or olive oil
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 cup (250 ml) drinkable red wine (if it tastes bad cold, it will taste bad hot!)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF) and position rack centrally.
- Allow meat to get to room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Fill a mixing jug with 500ml (pint) of boiling water and add the dried wild mushrooms. After about 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
- Place a large frying pan over a high heat with 1 knob of butter. Add the wild mushrooms, grated ginger and 2 tablespoons of water, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the remaining butter, then season to taste with the pepper and sea salt. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the beef and season with black pepper. Seal in a roasting tray over a medium heat on the hob until browned all over, then take off the heat.
- Place the slices of Parma ham out on a large piece of non-stick baking paper so that they’re just overlapping and big enough to wrap around the beef. Spread the hydrated mushrooms lengthways over the centre half of the prosciutto, then place the fillet of beef on top.
- Now carefully roll up the meat and filling. Detach the paper and gather the ends of the Parma ham. Secure and tie with butcher’s string.
- Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes for rare, 35 minutes for medium, or 45 minutes for well done. Once the meat has been cooking long enough for your choice of tenderness, place the meat on a chopping board to rest for 5 minutes, pouring any remaining juices back into the tray.
- Now, heat the tray over a medium to high setting on the hob, add the wine and simmer to your desired thickness.
- Remove from the hob, then pour the juices through a sieve before serving. Let the meat rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Carve the fillet roll and serve. Lightly pour over the red wine sauce.