BEEF CARNAVON

Steps:

• Pastry:.
• In a large bowl mix together flour, butter, shortening and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Pour lemon juice and 10 tablespoons ice water over mixture and toss lightly.
• Gather into a ball;if any crumbs remain add a little more water to form mass and add to ball.
• Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Beef:.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Trim filet well (or have butcher do it).
• Rub meat with butter and pepper.
• Turn ends under if necessary to retain uniform thickness in filet and tie with butcher's twine.
• Place meat thermometer in filet.
• Roast on rack until temperature reads 120 degrees, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven; flame with cognac.
• Reserve pan and drippings to make sauce.
• Cool meat on rack,remove string(if used) and then refrigerate.
• While meat is cooling, prepare the duxelles mixture.
• Duxelles:.
• Melt butter in a large skillet.
• Saute shallots until translucent.
• Add mushrooms; cook slowly over low heat until mushrooms loose moisture, turn dark, and develope a dry look.
• Add salt to taste; chill.
• Assembling:.
• Roll pastry out 1/4 inch thick to envelope meat completely,allowing an overlap at bottom and ends.
• There may be excess of pastry depending on size of meat.
• Spread pastry with chilled duxelles.
• Place filet in center; sprinkle with salt.
• Bring edges of pastry together,paint with egg white and secure.
• Place seam side down on a baking sheet.
• Cut small leaves from pastry scraps and fasten to roll with egg white.
• Mix yolk and cream and brush roll completely.
• Let dry 3 or 4 minutes.
• Refrigerate until ready to complete baking.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place filet on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking 20 to 23 minutes longer.(At 20 minutes the meat will be quite rare.).
• Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes befoer carving.
• Garnish with watercress or parsley.
• Serve with Sauce Espagnole.
• Sauce Espagnole:.
• Melt butter in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan.
• Add next 5 ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.
• Remove from heat and blend in flour.
• Increase heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until roux turns hazelnut brown. (This seems to take a long time, but you must be patient. Once it begins to brown it darkens rapidly so be careful that it does not burn.).
• Stir in broth and wine.
• Bring to boiling point and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and pepper.
• Taste and add salt,if needed.
• Saute mushrooms briefly in a little butter and add to sauce just before serving.