INGREDIENTS 2 x 400 g beef fillets Olive oil for frying 500 g mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned 1 thyme sprig, leaves only 500 g puff pastry 8 slices of Parma ham 2 egg whites, beaten with 1 tbsp water and salt Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the red wine sauce 2 tbsp olive oil 200 g beef trimmings (ask the butcher to keep these when trimming the fillet) 4 large onions, peeled and sliced 12 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 thyme sprig A splash of red wine vinegar 1 x 750 ml red wine 750 ml beef stock METHOD Serves 4 Wrap each piece of meat tightly in three layers of cling film to set its shape, then leave in a cool place overnight. Remove the cling film, then quickly sear the beef fillets in a hot pan with a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds, until they are browned all over and still rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. Chop the mushrooms very finely and fry in a hot pan with a little olive oil, the thyme leaves and some seasoning. When the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, continue cooking over a high heat for about 10 minutes, until all the excess moisture has evaporated and you are left with a mushroom paste (known as duxelle). Remove the duxelle from the pan and leave to cool. Cut the pastry in half, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll each piece out large enough to envelop one beef fillet. Leave in a cool place. Lay a large sheet of cling film on the work surface and place 4 slices of Parma ham in the middle, slightly overlapping, to create a square. Spread the duxelle evenly over the ham. Season the beef fillets and place them on top of the mushroom-covered ham. Using the cling film, roll the Parma ham around the meat, then roll and tie the cling film to get a nice log of even thickness
