Beef Wellington and Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

I’m back with a new dish on “Around the World in 196 Plates”! Today we are going to Antarctica… I know, it’s not a really normally populated country, but there are scientists living there doing research. Searching for a dish was almost impossible as there is no national dish or anything could stand out as something the citizens eat, so looking at the research team, it seemed as though Beef Wellington and parsnip mashed potatoes was a favorite as a whole. This was enough for me to make a dish many love and I had never tried before.

The Wellington was good, although I’m not a fan of mushrooms so I ended up scraping them out, and I was not a fan of the parsnips in the mashed potatoes, but I can see why some would like the appeal if the like cooked carrots. They were a slightly nuttier, more buttery version of a carrot. As a whole I would try an alternate version of the Wellington without mushrooms, but would make it again as the crust and tender beef were a wonderful combo. I doubt I will make the parsnip potatoes again, however as my fiancé and I both were not fans. Give it a try and see! I did serve this with steamed asparagus and my honey balsamic Brussels sprouts, and both were DELICIOUS. So all in all, this was a good meal.

Ingredients

Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

1 ½ lbs parsnips

1 ½ lbs potatoes (I used Russets)

2 ½ tsp salt

5 cups water

2 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup sour cream

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped chives

¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

Peel parsnips and cut into medallions (about ½ inch thick), peel and cube potatoes. Add potatoes and parsnips to a sauce pan, add water and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover then cook about 10 minutes until fork tender. Drain then return potatoes and parsnips to pan. Cover and steam in heat for another 10 minutes, then mash in pan with a potato masher (my metal one worked better than my plastic one here). Add remaining ingredients and blend well, but don’t over mash or they can become a paste.

Beef Wellington

Ingredients

2 lb beef tenderloin or steak

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

10 ounces of mushrooms ( I used baby portabella), finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 tsp minced garlic

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions

Heat oil over medium to high heat. Dry beef with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Quick sear until just browned, about 4 minutes. Place beef on a plate, then add mushrooms and brown, allowing to release liquid (4-5 minutes. Add shallots and cook until mushrooms dry out and shallots are soft and golden, careful not to overcook. Remove and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to around 10x14”, then repeat with other pastry. Spread onion and mushroom mixture on pastry and place steak, on mushrooms. Wrap pastry around then repeat in opposite direction with other pastry sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes until pastry is a golden brown, allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

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