As Seen On Hell's Kitchen : Wine and Food Pairing #2

About a year ago, I had my first experience with Beef Wellington. It was at a restaurant by work that we decided to go to for a work dinner.  Though I really can't recall much from the dinner, I remember the Wellington being like nothing I've tried before. As if a nice juicy steak wasn't enough, some master culinary mind decided to cover the whole thing in mushroom and prosciutto wrap with a puff pastry.  At first bite I told myself I had to make this.  But of course as with many other things in life, time passes and eventually that thought faded into the past... that is until one day I inadvertently clicked on Hell's Kitchen.
As I layed in bed watching Chef Gordon Ramsay screaming over a piece of undercooked Beef Wellington I remember how I had once wanted to take on that task myself (the cooking that is). In addition someone has also managed to ruin beautiful bay scallops by overcooking them... a task that always seems like a no brainier to me... so it was set, I was determined to mimic this exact meal!!!

Appetizer: Seared Bay Scallops with a Pea & Mint Puree Paired with a light white from France
   

The Mas Carlot was light with a strong hint of fruity aroma.  Paired with the scallops it brought out the sweetness of the scallops without overpowering it's delicate flavor.  The puree which I was a little hesitant on initially was mild and sweet and accompanied the dish beautifully.  The subtle hint of fresh mint gave the dish an added layer of re-freshness.












Entree: Beef Wellington with a side of Bok Choy Drizzled with a Shallot Red Wine Reduction Paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon

Fresh out the Oven

Inside of my Beef Wellington

Perhaps one of the most tricky aspect of this dish is the timing of the beef in the oven.  Since you can really only cut into it once, after the initial incision, what you see is what you get.
Hence understanding how your oven works is pretty crucial here.  In my case I think I lucked out as 30mins in the oven produced this result.  A meal this heavy required a Cabernat that was full bodied with strong tannins...  The Bogle was unfortunately not that type of Cab. In fact it was on the light side for a Cab though still heavy enough to distinguish itself as one. When paired with the steak it failed to cut through the fattiness and left an extremely rich taste on the palate even after several sips. All in all a fairly decent meal and one that I would definitely consider making again.