Beef Wellington with Garlic-Tarragon Mash

My first Beef Wellington

Quickie little 2 egg omelet for a starter and my first Beef Wellington  wrapped in Parma Ham, mushrooms, chestnuts, and puff pastry over all.  I added a mash that had butter, garlic, whole milk, and tarragon whipped into it after it had been fed through a ricer to make it fluffy.

I watched Chef Ramsay's video many times before I attempted on my own as Beef Wellington can be difficult.  I bought 2 fabulous looking Filet Mignon steaks from Lawhon's Grocery; they were spectacular looking.It took an hour of prep time as I braised the meat, cooked the mushroom-chestnut filling, painted a coating of stone ground mustard on the meat and wrapped it in the ham.  In and out of the fridge to maintain the shape, it finally was wrapped in the puff pastry dough, brushed with egg yolk-dotted with salt and whisked into the oven.

 Reflections: I should have used only 1 filet instead of two. Because I did not braise the sides that were touching, the juices were able to bubble out and moisten the bottom crust.  I also should have double the mushroom filling; I had no idea how much they cook down.  Next time, I will cook at a higher temp and less time to try to get the meat a bit more rare.  All in all it came out great and a terrific first effort!