The Zohan

Needs to be fillet of beef - Quite straight forward

Ingredients
Fillet steak, piece each
coarse pate - hard to say on exact amount, need to put a layer either side (top and bottom) of the steak
wild mushhrooms, not closed cup rubbish!
shortcrust pastry

seal the fillets in a frying pan, thinly slice mushrooms and cook at the same time.

roll out pastry, you need to enclose/wrap each fillet individually

mix pate and mushrooms together well

let beef cool

lay out pastry - layer of pate (beef sized the beef on top, another layer of pate. you can put it around thge side of the beef if you like.

wrap/seal in pastry to creat the 'wellington'

brush with beaten egg and bake @ around 180 for 45-65 mins (45= rare, 55=medium 65=well done) based on fan oven

done


do not expect to play hide the sausge afterwards as you will be unable to move other than to slacken off ya belt.



[Edited by Paul Habgood - 8/1/2002 1:53:59 PM]

The Zohan

CNDP - around £9-12 a bottle, it is my favoutie red wine, do let it breathe thou'

most wine outlets, supermarkets, Tescos, sainsburys, etc.

even my local Alldays has it!

always get a case when in France, prices a bit better there.



[Edited by Paul Habgood - 8/1/2002 1:45:44 PM]

dogmaul

Thanks for getting this far, i am after some decent recipes for a meal im cooking on monday for the girlfriend and myself, it cant be anything too hot as she does not like hot food also tips on a good bottle of wine to go with it would be good.

Ta very much

Mike

The Zohan

How about Beef Wellington washed down with a bottle or two of Chateau Neuf Du Pape

Tim Bomford

Yup can vouch for the plonk but it does need breathing time or tastes v.acidic

Tim

dogmaul

whats best joint of beef to use

David Lock

Beef Wellington is fillet of beef (small mortgage). Easy to get wrong if you don't know what you're up to (I don't BTW). A Nuit St George would be nice (quite heavy though).

MarkO

Check out Sainsburys recipe site. Stick in the ingredients you've got, plus any stuff like vegetarianism, gluten intolerance, etc., and it'll spew out many decent recipes.

dogmaul

thanks u lot as for the wine the Chateau Neuf Du Pape how much and where from ??

Diablo

For info, if going for a French red wine as suggested, as a general rule 96 was an excellent year, 98 pretty good to. Avoid anything younger than 98 if you can. Not really at their best yet.

D

Alas

Cooking for a lady? maybe better not to go too heavy - beef/red wine.
How about a nice darne of salmon in an Raspberry & cream sauce with a nice bottle of Chardonnay. If you want to be a gastronomic philistine use a cajun powder on the salmon instead & grill it.
Light but very tasty & serve with New potatoes & brocolli or asparagus. If you use the cajun powder also serve chilled american beer as well as the wine.
Yes, I used to be a chef and the wife never lets me forget it.
I would avoid the starter and buy in a sweet as the quality of the good ones are excellent. Terrys do their chocolate Orange with an orange ice cream filling - superb & easy.
Goodluck
Alas

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

A wealth of recipes are here thanks to the BBC!

David Lock

BUT if it's stinking hot and humid then you might be better off with a lighter dish say poached salmon with a brace of medium dry French whites, Pouilly Fuisse perhaps (spelling?) or a Sancerre or is this too naff these days? I don't know I am an oldie
Plus you can prepare most of this before so you have more time with your ladyfriend...

Oh and Smoked Salmon and scramblies to renew your energy in the morning

Edited to add I hadn't seen Alas post above!! I would hire Alas for the evening (or at least part of it

[Edited by David Lock - 8/1/2002 3:10:19 PM]

The Zohan

Yep salmon is good, light *******' food
May i suggest Salmon in a Holandaise sauce with boiled new pots and steamed veggies
cook the salmon on a griddle with a lotta lemon juice
the sauce - packet stuff is good as long as you stir it like buggery

recon Poilly Fume or Sancere are good choices and not naff.

dogmaul

alas mate dont suppose you could e-mail me the salmon dish could you

and if anyone has any more ideas let them roll in

brickboy

Dare I say ... fine wines and Belgian chocolates ... it's all going a bit Swiss Tony! Do her a Spag Bol & a bottle of Bulls Blood

Only joking -- some good ideas there. How about something light & BBQ ish like chicken wings etc? Good finger-licking food, more intimate than eating with knife & fork, with a nice Sav Blanc.

wilko999

Montana (New Zealand)is a nice Sauv blanc, infact just picked up a case about 10 minutes ago! My favourite white!

dogmaul

actually i think i just thought of the best one

Julienne of cod in a fine bread crumb
with a rich tommato sauce on a bed of crusty white bread

To drink a nice 2002 can of pepsi


or a fishfinger sandwich with tomato sauce

chuckster

A good anytime/uncomplicated red wine is the Wolf Blass yellow lable Cabernet Sauv. Available anywhere and a very easy drink, especially if you've an unsophisticated/untutored palate.
Sancerre a very cool white IMO, Tesco's 'Finest' is a nice drop for decent money.
Chuck

MarkCSC

Old favourite that always worked with the ladies

Stuffed baked Trout and Gratin Dauphinois
Fairly easy to to and rather nice


Stuff baked trout

2 trout
some shallots,
2 garlic cloves, all peeled and chopped
2oz Butter
White bread-crumbs (3 slices)
4 anchovy fillets chopped
Grated rind of 2 oranges and juice of 2 lemons
chopped parsley and chopped sage
2 eggs, beaten
some dry white wine
Salt and pepper

Method:

Melt the butter in a small pan, add the shallots and garlic and cook for five minutes until soft but not browned. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to l8O°C. Put the breadcrumbs, shallots, garlic, parsley, sage, anchovy fillets, orange rind, eggs and salt and pepper into a bowl and mix together.

Fill the cavity of the fish and close with skewers or thread

Butter two baking dishes and place the trout on it, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then pour over the lemon juice and wine.

Cook uncovered, in the oven for about 30 minutes, basting with the cooking liquid every 10 mins. Remove the trout from the baking dishes, cover and keep warm.

Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and boil until reduced by half. Pour the sauce over the trout, garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.


Gratin Dauphinois


400g of old potatoes
salt
pepper
125 ml milk
125 ml double cream
garlic clove, crushed
bit of of grated nutmeg
some butter
grated Gruyère cheese (chedder will do)

Method:

Peel the potatoes and slice finely into very thin slices.
Add salt and pepper.

Put the milk and then the sliced potatoes into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Add the cream, garlic and the nutmeg. Continue simmering for 20 minutes (or until the potatoes are tender), taking care that the potatoes do not stick to the pan.



Preheat the oven to 180C Take the potatoes out of the pan and place in an ovenproof dish.
Add the potatoes in layers, seasoning each layer with salt pepper and a bit of nutmeg. Add some of the grated cheese on each layer as well.
Pour over the creamy liquid from the pan.

Dot the potato mixture with butter and finish by cooking it for 20-30 minutes in the oven until the top is golden. If you prefer, you can put the mixture into individual ovenproof dishes and cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve with sauted vegetables

Spudgun VI

bl00dy nora! get her to cook! you shouldnt have to be doing that, its what women are for

fatherpierre

Phone for a chinky and put it on posh plates and tell her it's all your own work. You might get some hairy trumpet action if she falls for it!

The Zohan

LOL @ Spudgun,. thanks for putting this situation into context - Dogmaul, sort it out, she cooks, you sort the wine

dogmaul

she really cant cook i have been subjected to it before i only just survived so its safer if i cook then i might get to my next job interview

Makalu

Hope she is not a tea total Veggie!

;o)
Mak.

"Do you have any lentil soup and Nut Loaf?"

dogmaul

not at all she loves a bit of meat thank god she dont like horse but thats because she has 3 of her own

Toerag

Seabass with pesto sauce, my GF cooked it at the weekend, you'll have to find a recipe though.
Failing that, Barbeque!

Wine - Piat D'Or white, it's very medium so even a red wine drinker like me likes it.

Spudgun VI

lol @ fatherpierre...hairy trumpet ha ha!
she may even play his pink piccolo

dont get chinese, get her a kebab, while you have nice food. remember, YOU are the bloke, she should be grateful youre even considering her

DavidLewis

Big Mac, Large fries and a chocolate shake. If on a diet, the McChicken Premiere's aren't bad.

puppypower

Stuffed peppers worked wonders for my Mrs. Dead easy to do and cheap. As for drink, Newkie Brown always does it for me.

PP