Celebrity square meals: Beef Wellington, by rugby player Lee Mears

Serves 4

Friday 24 February 2006 20:00 EST
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This is something I like to cook - beef Wellington. I prefer to make it with puff pastry, so that's the recipe I've given, and it's really quite easy. If you want to do short-crust, you'll have to get your own instructions on how to do that. One last thing: rugby players have to eat quite a lot, but even for us this would be quite a challenge - it's not exactly calorie-controlled.

750g beef fillet
2 tbsp olive oil
340g puff pastry
85g wild mushroom pâté
1 egg, lightly beaten or cup of milk
Handful of button mushrooms (optional)
Splash of beef stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Take a packet of puff pastry, and prepare it according to the instructions. Season the beef well with salt and pepper, heat a pan with oil and a splash of beef stock and seal the fillet steak - 30 seconds on each side should do it.

Remove from the pan and allow juices to run off, then lay it on the pastry, cover it in the pâté and place some chopped mushrooms on to it. Fold the pastry over it and paint with milk or egg.

Trim off the corners, place the wrapped fillet, join side down, on a lighlty oiled baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Lee Mears plays hooker for Bath and England. England play Scotland today at Murrayfield in the Six Nations rugby championship. Kick off 5.30pm on BBC1

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