Lorraine Pascale

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Remove the pastry from the fridge – it should be maleable but not too soft. Put a large tablespoon of the mushroom mixture into the centre of the pastry and spread it out to the same size as a beef steak. Pop the steak on top and brush a little of the eggwash around the edges of the pastry. Draw up the corners and edges of the pastry so they meet and overlap slightly in the middle. Turn it right side up and shape it round the sides a little with your hands. Repeat with the other three beef fillets and pastry squares. There will be a good amount of mushroom mixture left over, and this is for the sauce later. If the pastry is too soft, put it in the fridge for 5 minutes or so to firm up. This will make sure the pastry does not just melt into a gooey mess in the oven before it has had a chance to puff up. Before baking, slash the tops to a design of your liking and brush them all over with more eggwash. Cook in the oven for about 14 minutes for medium rare, or cook for longer or shorter depending on how you like your beef.

Five minutes before the Wellingtons are ready, reheat the mushroom mixture. When it is hot, add the double cream and cook on a high heat for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then take off the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

When the Wellingtons are ready, remove them from the oven and serve with the sauce and a big glass of a hearty red wine.