The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable. ~Lane Olinghouse and Individual Beef Wellington for Two

Father’s Day has come and gone once again. Rick feels fathers always get a bit slighted when it comes to holidays. Historically when his kids were growing up, so he tells it, Father’s Day meant going to brunch with extended family.  When the bill arrived people scattered like ants on a hot grill, leaving him to retrieve his wallet from his pants. Saturday he went to the market and reported seeing tons of “dads” wandering about the store piling their carts high with what appeared to be party supplies. Somehow this didn’t sit well with him. Most probably tons could be whittled down to a more manageable amount like ten, but nonetheless this translated to him dad’s are not getting a fair shake. Now, I could tell stories about cooking for crowds on Mother’s Day, but I shall keep my own counsel and allow him to let off a bit of steam.

I believe, though don’t hold me to it, Mother’s Day to be the biggest greeting card holiday of the year, with dad’s lagging in the background somewhere. As the kids are spread out we will be celebrating his big day just the two of us. To ease his pain he has requested Beef Wellington, so I will be wrestling with puff pastry and duxelles while he is stretched out watching his soccer games. Beef Wellington is a dish I used to be intimidated by, but now I look the puff pastry directly in the eye and come out swinging.

A present was in order. Rick always gets something for me on Mother’s Day, though I had nothing to do with his birth. Women are easier to buy for I feel. Men, I find, are difficult to buy for unless they have a specific hobby or pursuit you can tap into. Rick isn’t a tool kind of guy, nor does he pursue any sport vigorously like fishing or golfing (armchair sports not included). Not a hobbyist either, sometimes I have no idea where to begin. Usually this has me running amok the week before any holiday presents himself. I try to be creative. This year, for example, I put together a gift bag with pictures specifically drawn for him and pics of the kids and grandchildren. Inside I put the usual items of clothes I picked up for him. Truly if I didn’t buy clothes for him I believe he would wear the same five shirts, two pairs of jeans, and four shorts for the rest of his life. Please don’t feel sorry for him. Lack of clothing is not the issue here. He has some beautiful shirts hanging in the closet, most still sporting their tags. I have spent the week clearing out and selling most of the clothes I don’t wear anymore so I suggested he might do the same thing. Retrieving all the unworn clothes from his closet and leaving him to sort through them I came back an hour later. There were two piles on the bed, one the “sell pile”, the other the “keep pile”. The sell pile had two items in it, with the keep pile about forty. Really? The explanation was he might need the keepers somewhere down the road. Uh-huh. I’ve been moving the same summer and winter shirts up and down the stairs as the seasons change for fourteen years now and the tags are still on them. Ah well. In the scheme of things whether they’re in the closet or in the mail isn’t going to make much difference fifty years from now, so no worries.

Three trips to the store were required in an effort to make two Beef Wellington’s. I don’t believe Gordon Ramsey is going to contact me about joining his kitchen staff any time soon. In my hurry I picked up puff pasty shells rather than sheets. Not going to work, unless I pushed the steak in the hole in one end and hoped for best. Home again with my pastry sheets I rummaged through my produce drawer looking for shallots. Locating them, I quickly determined they had gone south and weren’t coming back anytime soon. You can do onions and garlic if out of shallots, but substitutions are just that, substitutions. Fine. A burger I would take a shot, but with filets and pate, nope, not going to do it. Shoes back on again I went back up the hill. As the crow flies for us it is about a half hour trip to the store, not including shopping time. I bought shallots and returned home only to find red wine in the cupboard, when I knew the recipe called for white. Again with the shoes in place, I went back to the store for wine. Going through the checkout line I ignored the strange look sent my way from the same checker probably now fully convinced I was either suffering a breakdown of some sort or casing the store. Placing the wine down on my kitchen counter, shoes off and apron on I realized I was out of butter. How could I be out of butter? I am never out of butter. Usually I have several boxes in the freezer, but not Sunday. No, not Sunday. Could use margarine. What? Now I was having a breakdown. If I used margarine for Beef Wellington I believe Lord Wellington himself would rise from the grave and pay me a visit himself. Forget it, I’m giving him Papa Murphy’s and calling it good. Simply form the pizza dough around a wad of pepperoni and that will have to do. Ahhhh, I know, it was Father’s Day after all. Shoes on I headed back to the store quite sure the clerk would have me arrested on sight.

In spite of the interruptions and confusion two lovely golden pastry pods made it to the table and were thoroughly enjoyed. This recipe is certainly not geared for dieters but once in a while one has to unbutton the top button and go for it.

Hope your Father’s Day was filled with family and laughter, or at least good food.

Individual Beef Wellington for Two

1 Tbsp. butter
4 6 oz. filet mignons
Salt and pepper
2 oz. duck liver
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Mushroom duxelle
1 large egg beaten, plus 1 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat butter over med. high heat in heavy skillet. Salt and pepper meat on both sides. When butter is foamy add meat and cook for 1 min. on each side. Remove to plate.

Cut puff pastry sheet in half. Should be malleable but still cold. Place 1 oz. of pate on top of each steak. top with duxelles (you may not use all them depending on taste – freeze remaining). Push onto meat. Turn topping side down in center of each pastry piece. Wrap like a present, making sure all edges are sealed. Brush with egg wash to seal any open edges. Brush entire crust with wash.

Place seal side down on parchment paper. Cook 15 mins. for med. rare, 20 mins. for medium. Allow to rest for 10 mins. after removing from oven.

Duxelles

1 lb. of mushrooms, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 shallots, finely chopped
6 oz. heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze lemon juice over the chopped mushrooms. In large skillet melt butter over med.-low heat. Add shallots. Sweat for about 1 min. Add mushrooms. Cook for 8-10 mins. or until liquid has disappeared. Add heavy cream and continue cooking until thickened. Remove from heat.

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