Lamb Wellington

I invited some people over for a Chanukah dinner, even though the holiday started three days after Thanksgiving.  Poultry was out, so I started considering other red meats.

Meat really is getting expensive, even for everyday cuts.  When ground 80/20 is $5 per pound, it's easy to see why I'm choosing to eat vegetarian more often.  However, semi-boneless leg of lamb was $9 per pound, considerably cheaper than a cut of beef of the same quality and two dollars cheaper than the available lamb for stew.  I only needed a one-pound slab for this recipe, so I ended up cutting it in three pieces: two roasts and the bone with a lot of meat on it.  That third part will be great for a tagine or honey lamb.

This recipe is very similar to the original Beef Wellington post.  A few different spices went into it, and I cheated on the sauce.  I was terrified that the lamb would be too well done, but it came out great.  The ends were medium to medium-rare, and the center two or three slices were just past rare.  One of the guests prefers his meat medium, so he got first crack at those and everyone was happy.

1 to 1-1/2 lb boneless leg of lamb
1 Tb olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp each paprika and cumin
1 Tb butter
1 C minced white or crimini mushrooms
1 medium shallot, minced (divided)
1 Tb balsamic vinegar
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
flour for the board
1 egg
1 packet "au jus" seasoning mix
*1 Tb Marsala, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 425º.  Rub roast all over with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin.  Place on a baking sheet or in a small roasting pan and cook until internal temperature reaches 130º, about 30 minutes.  I checked after 20, then ten minutes after, then every five until I decided that 122º was close enough.  It's scary how much it's going to shrink and get dark because of the high heat, so trust your thermometer.  Set roast aside to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate if longer than 2 hours.

2.  While the roast is cooling, melt butter in a saucepan.  Add mushrooms and about 2/3 of the shallots and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms have given up their water and everything is softened.  Add balsamic vinegar and allow that liquid to boil off.  Set aside while you prep the pastry.

3.  Open puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out into a rectangle that will leave about 4" on each side of the roast when it is placed in the middle.  If desired, cut off some bits of pastry to use as decorations.  Start heating the oven back up to 425º.

4. Beat egg with a tablespoon of water into an egg wash.  Brush surface of pastry lightly with the egg.  Place cooked mushroom mixture (duxelles) in the middle.  Place roast upside-down on top of the mushrooms.

5.  Bring up sides of pastry to cover the roast.  Turn over and place on lined baking sheet, making sure all sides of the roast are covered.  I quartered the remaining mushrooms in the package and roasted them along with the pastry.  Cut a few small holes in the pastry for venting.  Brush exterior of pastry with more egg wash.  If you reserved some trimmings, make designs with them and brush again.

6.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until pastry is crisp and golden and the center of the roast temps at 140º-150º, depending on how well done you like it.  Set aside to rest for 15 minutes while you make the gravy.

7.  Stir 1 Tb of flour into the powdered au jus mix.  Add as much water as the directions suggest, followed by the remaining shallots.  Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, then add the Marsala, if using, and boil another 3 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol.

8.  Show off the roast first, then slice into portions.  Serve with gravy on the side.

Difficulty rating  :-0