Minced Beef Wellington with Roasted Carrots and Caramelised Shallots

Busy, busy bee.. Spring is coming and I am running around like crazy. Lack of time, days are too short and my energy levels seems to be dropping quickly, too quickly. I cook simple and easy things-pastas, salads, one pot stews etc. But during weekends I try to find time for something a little but more fancy, like this 'fake' Wellington'... It was nice, especially with all the trimmings.

Wellington:

500g minced beef
50g tomato ketchup
3 eggs 
1 onions , finely chopped
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
small handful sage , chopped
handful parsley , chopped
25g butter
200g mushrooms , finely chopped
500g pack puff pastry

Roasted Carrots:

pack of small/baby carrot
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine or cider vinegar

Caramelised Shallot:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
600g small shallots , peeled but left whole
25g butter
2 bay leaves
thyme sprig
500ml beef or veal stock
 
Mix the beef with the ketchup, eggs, seasoning and a bit of  water. Mix in the onions, half the garlic and herbs.Heat oven to 200C/180C. Press the meat into a sausage shape about 30cm x 10cm on a baking tray. Cook for 20 mins then remove and leave to cool.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 3 mins. Add remaining garlic and cook for a further 2 mins, pouring off the excess water from the mushrooms.
Roll pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap up the beef. Beat remaining egg with a little water and brush over pastry.
Spread the mushroom mix into a meatloaf-size strip along the middle of the pastry. Sit the meat on top then cut pastry either side into strips from the meat outwards. Criss-cross these over the meat to enclose and tuck under ends. Brush with more egg, then place on a tray and cook for 40 mins, covering after 30 mins if going too brown.

To prepare carrots heat oven to 200C/180C. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the carrots, bring back up to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Drain and leave in a colander to steam dry for a few mins, and then toss in a large roasting tin with the oil, honey, vinegar and seasoning. Roast the carrots for 30-40 mins.

When carrots and beef are in the oven heat oil in a large frying pan and cook shallots over a high heat for 5 mins. When they are golden, drain off and throw away the oil. Add the butter, bay and thyme and toss with seasoning. Cook for 5-8 mins, stirring so that the butter doesn't burn. Pour over the stock and cook until the shallots are tender and the sauce is reduced and sticky.

You can also add roasted potatoes but I've decided to serve them mashed with cream and pepper. Yum!

And here are some lovely daffodils..Spring!!