Minced Beef Wellington

When I flip through cookbooks looking for ideas, I tend to skip recipes which go with ostentatious pictures - little sampler-sized food on a gigantic-enough-to-hold-your-butt plate overloaded with excessive decorations. It might look pretty, but not any more appetizing! Most importantly, the tiny portion ain't going anywhere to my stomach because I don't think I can feel it! Yes, I can really eat, it doesn't mean it has to be huge portion, but what I cook is in reasonable size that really fills my hunger.

When I looked at the picture of this beef recipe from my new Jamie Oliver cookbook "Ministry of Food", I found it a little intimating. But then I gave it a try as I remember how achievable Jamie Oliver's recipes have been!

(serves 4-6)
Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
1 potato
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large field mushrooms (I used small white mushrooms), chopped in small pieces
olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
a big handful of frozen peas (I skipped it as I'm not a big fan of peas, but I do recommend it cos it brings color)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
500g good quality minced beef
sea salt and black pepper
plain flour
500g puff pastry

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery and potato into 1cm sized dice.

Place all vegetables and rosemary leaves into a frying pan with olive oil. Fry and stir for about 8 mins or until vegetables soften and colour.

Add frozen peas and cook for another minute.

Put vegetables into large bowl to cool completely.

Add the minced beef to the bowl with salt and pepper and half the egg. Scrunch together.

Roll out pastry to size of small tea towel.

Place mince mix along one long side, in sausage shape.

Brush edges of pastry with egg and roll pastry to cover mince completely. Squeeze ends together.

Put onto baking tray, brush with egg. Bake for 1 hour until golden.

Slice and serve with gravy.