Kathy Pitts Beef Wellington

(at least 1 inch, 1 1/2 -inches is better) 1 pk Puff pastry shells, frozen -Pepperidge farm 1 cn Liver pate w/truffles -imported 4 Mushrooms, fresh; very -finely minced 1 Shallot (or the white part -of 2 small green onions) -finely minced Butter; clarified, several -tablespoons 1 Eggs, beaten w/ a tables- -poon of cold water *(chicken or pork liver pate is okay, goose is better, pate de foie gros is best.)

Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan, and saute the steaks on each side until well browned (you don't really want to

cook 'em, just brown them ).

Remove the steaks from the pan, and chill well.

Meanwhile, in the same pan (

add a bit more butter if needed,)

cook the mushrooms and shallot until well browned and dry.

Set aside.

Thaw the puff pastry shells, and, one at a time,

roll them on a floured board until about 1/4 inch thick.

Chill briefly.

Remove one of the rolled pastry rounds from the refrigerator, and

place it in the center of a lightly floured board.

Place half the mushroom/shallot mixture in the center of the pastry.

Remove one of the steaks from the refrigerator, and

spread the top of the steak with about a 1/4 inch thick

layer of pate.

Place the steak, pate side down, on top of the mushroom/shallot mixture.

Draw the pastry around the sides of the steak, trim off most of the overlap at the top, leaving maybe a 1/2 inch of pastry on the top side (this is tougher to explain than to do, but I think you get the picture.) Save the dough trimmings for later.

Brush the overlapping dough with the egg/water mixture, and

place a second round of dough on top of it to

cover the unwrapped portion of the steak.

Cut off the excess.

and pinch firmly to join the two pieces.

Turn the whole thing over (pate side up), and refrigerate while you do the second steak.

After the second steak is done and resting in the refrigerator,

preheat your oven to whatever temperature (425, I think, but I can't remember exactly) the package of puff pastry shells recommends.

While the oven is preheating,

roll the scraps of leftover pastry out, and

cut into decorative leaf, flower or whatever other shapes suit you.

Remove the individual Wellingtons from the refrigerator,

brush the top and sides with egg,

cut a couple of decorative slits in each to vent the steam, and decorate the top with the pastry scraps.

Brush the scraps lightly with egg to glaze,

place the Wellingtons on a baking sheet, and

bake until browned.

(Again, refer to the pastry box for timing here, it doesn't take more than about 20 minutes, though).

Serve, if you like, with a Bordelaise or Maderia sauce on the side.

(Knorr makes decent versions of both ;-) Kathy in Bryan, TX