You can go all-out gourmet with this beef Wellington by coating the beef in foie gras or veganise it with a filling of mushrooms and lentils.

SERVES 10 // COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
500 g portabellini mushrooms, finely chopped
⅓ cup Port
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme
500 g baby spinach
800 g beef fillet, trimmed
2 tbsp English mustard
1 roll puff pastry
3 egg yolks
1 tsp water
Pinch sea salt

METHOD
1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the mushrooms until the liquid has cooked away, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the Port and simmer for 5–10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
3. Heat some more olive oil in a separate pot and sauté the onion, garlic and thyme until soft. Add this to the mushrooms, then remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Place the spinach in a colander. Pour boiling water over it, then immediately pour over cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Lay the leaves flat between clean tea towels. Set aside.
5. Season the beef well with salt and pepper and sear in a very hot pan for about 3 minutes. Brush with mustard and set aside.
6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Cut into a 35 × 45 cm rectangle. Lay out on a lined baking tray and rest in the fridge.
7. Arrange the spinach in an even rectangle on a layer of cling film. Top with an even layer of the mushroom mixture. Lay the beef fillet across it horizontally.
8. Using the cling film to help you, roll up the beef with the spinach as tight as possible. Wrap and seal in the cling film, and freeze for 30 minutes.
9. Whisk yolks and water, brush over rested pastry.
10. Remove the cling film from the beef roll and lay it down on the pastry, 5 cm from the edge. Roll it up tightly in the pastry, trim the edges and press down the seam to seal. Crimp the edges closed and cut away any excess pastry. Brush all over with egg wash.
11. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then brush with more egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.
12. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown all over. Allow the beef Wellington to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe: Nicola Naudé
Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Speaking of beef and pastry – this beef and leek pie is another favourite.

The post Traditional English beef Wellington with mushroom-Port stuffing appeared first on MyKitchen.

This popular Tuscan dish is essentially a massive T-bone steak that is shared between two or more people. You can use any beef for Bistecca alla Fiorentina, but because of the delicacy of the traditional meat (from Chianina cattle), it is best cooked simply without any bells and whistles, and served rare to emphasise the flavour.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 55 min

INGREDIENTS
For the potatoes
400 g baby potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
For the steak
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
700 g T-bone

METHOD
For the potatoes
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Arrange the potatoes on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over the rosemary. Season well.
3. Roast for 30–35 minutes until golden and crispy.
For the steak
1. Combine the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.
2. Pour over the steaks and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
3. Make sure the steaks are at room temperature.
4. Heat a pan over high and fry the T-bone for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
5. Serve your Bistecca alla Fiorentina with the hot potatoes on the side.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Read to take your T-bone to the next level? Learn the art of glazing with Marmite.

The post Traditional Tuscan Bistecca alla Fiorentina appeared first on MyKitchen.

Served with injera, a sourdough-risen Ethiopian flatbread, this spicy beef stew is the ideal winter warmer for all its spice and tenacity.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 5 hours

INGREDIENTS
For the injera
¾ cup white bread flour
¼ cup teff flour
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1 tbsp oil
For the berbere spice
6 cardamom pods, bruised
4 cloves
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
For the spicy beef stew
2 tbsp butter
1 kg beef chuck
2 onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated ginger
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
For the Swiss chard
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch allspice
500 g Swiss chard

METHOD
For the injera
1. Place white bread flour and teff flour in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, and add water and salt. Mix until smooth, then allow to rest for 5 hours.
2. Fry the injera just before you are ready to eat. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Pour in 1 cup batter and swirl to coat the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Flip, turn the heat down, cover and cook for 5 minutes. The bread will be darker brown in spots and should puff up with a pocket like a pita.
For the berbere spice
1. Preheat a pan and dry-roast all ingredients until fragrant. Crush with a mortar and pestle.
For the spicy beef stew
1. Melt the butter in a pot. Sear the meat until brown, then remove and set aside.
2. Fry onion, garlic and ginger in the same pan for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in 3 tbsp berbere spice and fry for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Return the beef to the pot and cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every now and then to make sure the stew doesn’t stick to the base of the pot.
For the Swiss chard
1. Heat the butter and oil in a pan and fry the ginger, garlic and allspice for 2 minutes.
2. Add the chard and fry for 5 minutes, until wilted.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

These injera pancakes with berbere chicken are another Ethiopian favourite!

The post Traditional Ethiopian spicy beef stew with injera appeared first on MyKitchen.

Chicken korma is a traditional Indian curry that is made with yoghurt, where the meat or veggies are braised in it or the curry sauce. Enjoy this treat on a cool autumn evening!

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
For the curry
3 tbsp vegetable oil
12 chicken pieces
6 dried rose petals
2 tbsp chopped ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp garam masala
½ tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup almonds
3 tbsp butter
2 onions, finely sliced
4 tbsp tomato paste
1½ cups Greek yoghurt
½ cup cream
To serve
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
2 tsp dried rose petals
6 rotis, warmed
Wedges of 2 lemons

METHOD
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken in batches, until almost cooked through. Remove from the pot and set aside.
2. Add the 6 rose petals, ginger, garlic, garam masala, paprika, cardamom, salt, turmeric and almonds to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the remaining vegetable oil and the butter to the pot. Add the onions and cook until caramelised, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the blended spice mix and fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Reduce the heat and mix in the tomato paste and yoghurt. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the chicken.
6. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken is done. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.
7. Top your chicken korma with flaked almonds and rose petals and serve with warm rotis and lemon wedges.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Try something more tropical and fresh with our Jamaican chicken curry recipe.

The post Traditional Indian chicken korma curry appeared first on MyKitchen.