Review: The Fountain

Anniversary time again! And for this one, we were in agreement: we'd finally try Bistrot La Minette, the French place that we had heard so many good things about. I made a reservation, but then disaster struck: an apologetic voicemail from the manager explaining that they were closed for a private party on our anniversary, so our reservation would be cancelled. Since we thought it might be unseemly to try gatecrashing on our anniversary, I headed back to OpenTable and started searching. We settled on the Fountain since neither of us had ever been, and the special occasion justified the "spendiness" of the place.

We arrived at 7:30 to find the dining room mostly empty, save for three or four occupied tables. The large windows do afford a nice view of the Swann Fountain in Logan Circle across the street, though Lauren got stuck with an obstructed view seat behind a column, so we had no choice but to gaze into each other's eyes (and at our dishes as they arrived).

Though the Fountain offers a $65, three-course prix fixe menu, neither of us were particularly thrilled by the options on it, so we ordered a la carte. Opting not to shell out the $60 per glass for the Dom Perignon, we ordered two glasses of prosecco.

First to arrive was an amuse-bouche – a cold yellow tomato gazpacho with shrimp, served in a small egg cup. The soup was smooth and a vibrant yellow, given some texture by small chunks of rock shrimp. The tomato flavor really came through, but we agreed that the soup's strong hints of vinegar made it very reminiscent of pureed tomato salad.

For Lauren, the tomato train continued with a first course of tomato bisque. The sample I had of it was uncannily tomatoey, not at all like a typical tomato soup. Croutons and some diced tomato gave the soup a little crunch.

I had the rabbit paillard, served with a "pyramid" of the rabbit leg meat and some fried zucchini blossoms. The rabbit was thin, tender and delicious, and the zucchini blossoms were fried until very crisp. Possibly the star of the dish was the incredibly rich-tasting Dijon and white wine jus that sauced the whole thing. My only complaint was with the texture of the wonton-like wrapper of the "pyramid", which got a little tough at the seams.

Time out for a few glasses of wine to arrive. Like everything else at the Fountain, the wines by the glass ain't cheap, but there is a nice selection of both whites and reds. If you want to get a bottle and money is no object, you'll certainly have fun rifling through the extensive wine list. We stuck with wines by the glass, a pinot noir for Lauren and a Bordeaux for me. At $20, the pinot fell kind of flat, but my $15 Bordeaux was delicious, with very appealing vanilla-y flavors of oak.

My main course was the roasted halibut, served on a stew of white beans, pork belly and crawfish. Though the halibut was perfectly cooked, with a crisp, brown crust, the white beans were absolutely amazing. The crawfish and pork belly, though an unexpected pairing, teamed up for a one-two punch of richness that was immensely satisfying.

Lauren had roasted veal tenderloin, served with a morel farro cake and asparagus. The taste I had of it was delicious; the veal was cooked just right. I felt the asparagus was a touch mushy, but I got a piece right near the tip.

So, on to dessert. Though all of the options looked pretty tasty, our waiter pushed the chocolate soufflé so I went for it. Lauren ordered a roasted peach Napoleon with buttermilk ice cream.

First, we were served a small pre-dessert glass of a creamy yam and tapioca pudding. Very delicious, and those little tapioca pearls are always fun to eat.

But the soufflé … I find it unimaginable that it could have been made any better. Rich and deeply chocolatey, yet light, and incredibly, screaming hot, I believe a case could be made that it is the ideal chocolate soufflé.

The service: friendly, deferential and classy, yes. The old "attentive yet unobtrusive" definitely applies, but I would say not as attentive as a place like Le Bec-Fin, for example. Though water glasses were refilled and plates cleared quickly and efficiently, there was never the sense of "performance" that you feel when a well-coordinated swarm of waitstaff is keeping on top of your table. Perhaps things were lax because of the relatively uncrowded dining room.

Well, not completely uncrowded. Heading into dessert, we were treated to a lengthy and persistent treatise from the recent Penn grad, trust-fund son of a bitch at the next table, as he argued incessantly for his parents to pay for a BlackBerry. While I would have loved nothing more than to order a chloroform-soaked rag over to his table, I guess it's an occupational hazard of dining in such a rarified air.

So, good food, nice setting, decent service, and you will lay down some coin. Was it worth it? Highlights like the white bean stew and soufflé make me say yes, it is an experience worth having at least once. And it really is the experience you're buying. As with all things, I believe in diminishing returns – the $20 glass of wine isn't twice as good as the $10 one, and the $200 meal doesn't taste twice as good as the $100 one. But just as it's important to appreciate the simpler things in life, sometimes it's nice to appreciate the complex, elaborate ones as well.

Adventures in taking things too literally: Scallops with "beurre noisette"

OK, I'm an idiot. (This is Paul writing, not Lauren.) For some reason, for a while now, I've been wanting to make scallops with a "beurre noisette" sauce. I didn't take French for 12 years like Lauren did, but I do know that beurre = butter and noisette = hazelnut. Simple, eh?

So I get some nice dry sea scallops, sear them, crush up some hazelnuts, toast them briefly in the hot be-scalloped pan, deglaze with vermouth and a little water, and mount a little butter in there. Beurre noisette, right?

Well, the result was tasty enough. I ended up cooking the scallops pretty well, and the vermouth added a nice flavor without being overpowering. Then it occurs to me to check Wikipedia about what I think I've just made.

Turns out that in language, there's such a thing as an "idiom". Apparently this means that you use words that mean one thing, but you really mean another. So beurre noisette = "brown butter". No actual hazelnuts in there at all.

In retrospect, I'd like to think that I was being playful, like Thomas Keller with his "donuts" and "bacon and eggs" and whatnot. If I'm being honest, I know that I'm really just a jackass. And on the eve of Bastille Day, nonetheless.

Heck, it tasted good anyway, and it used up a few tablespoons' or so worth of hazelnuts that may not have otherwise gone to good use. And I served it with a bangin' mint-spiked fava bean salad, which I enjoyed thoroughly even though Lauren didn't.

Supper Club: Xochitl

Last week, I had the wonderful company of 5 lovely ladies as we embarked on a new culinary adventure: The Supper Club. This is to be a monthly meeting to catch up, dress up, and more importantly, eat and drink up.

Half price margaritas at the bar made everyone happy, followed by a sampling of some of the house's special tequila cocktails. Once we were seated, we quickly decided on the five course tasting menu- everyone has to order it, but once the table shares guacamole, you get to choose what you eat- an appetizer, ceviche, entree and dessert.

The guacamole was prepared tableside and started off the meal deliciously. I have never had such a creamy guacamole, and the flavors were excellent- a hint of onion, citrus, cilantro and spice- perfectly balanced and not overwhelming the avocado flavor.

3 of us got the Sopes for an appetizer- 3 little tortillas with different toppings: duck, chorizo, and goat cheese. 3 sauces accompanying the were nice, but I wasn't sure which went with which or if it was a free for all kinda thing. Bridget's cinnamon smoked fig salad got mixed reviews. the smoked figs were delicious, but Bridget felt the blue cheese overpowered their flavor and was unnecessary; I agree. Danielle and Amy got the queso fundido - literally "flood of cheese," served with homemade tortillas. AMAZING, especially with the mushrooms. This was the most substantial appetizer and a bit heavy to eat alone at the start of the meal. Luckily the girls had plenty of extra mouths (and grabby hands) to help.

The ceviche was decent. I'll admit I was underwhelmed by my Coctel de Camarones, but I ordered the least adventurous of the bunch. Danielle was pleased by her Tuna Ceviche with lemongrass, and Hilary, Erin and Bridget raved about the "Return to Life" Vuelve a la Vida, a mix of octopus, scallop, and oyster. Amy, our vegetarian had a beautiful and creatively plated salad that was one of her favorite dishes of the night.

By the time entrees came, we were on the full side, but soldiered through. The server recommended the pork ribs braised with pineapple and banana. I was skeptical about bananas and pork, but I admit it did not disappoint. The pork was fall of the bone tender and with a lovely sauce. It came with blue corn tortillas so I could make little tacos, and they were yums. Erin and Hilary bravely ordered goat, which they report as very tender, but accompanied by extremely spicy peppers. "I have a giant hole burned in my mouth," were Erin's exact words. (and there, my friend, is your very special shout-out). Bridget's Bistec Azteca was suprisingly light, served with crisp shavings of chayote. It came with fried avocado. I prefer my avocado "not warm," but Bridget stated it complemented the lightness of the rest of the dish nicely. Vegetarians ordered broccoli cakes with mole, which were a bit of a let down after the rest of the meal; just another reason eating meat is great!

Desserts featured a deicious homemade walnut ice cream with rum sauce and caramelized bananas and churros with dipping sauces (skip those, Amada's are much better). I warned everyone that the "sweet tacos" would probably not be good. I even shook my finger. So Bridget ordered them to spite me. She reports they were great (more like cannoli), but I was too happy with my ice cream to care at that point.

Service was attentive and excellent. The meal was paced very leisurely- which we loved. I hate feeling rushed when I go out to eat and the pace here was excellent- we weren't starving between courses and we were able to get a break between dishes. I believe we were there for over 3 hours, much of it spent discussing locations for future meals.

I left the restaurant happy, full (but not uncomfortably so) and a little smug for having such a great idea. Can't wait for next month, ladies!

Review: Yogorino

When we were in college, my friend Marni and I decided to spend the summer studying in Florence, Italy. I can write a whole essay about the awesomeness of that trip, but the long and short of it is that while I was there I learned enough Italian to speak to a small dog, and ate gelato pretty much every single day.

On the, perhaps 2 days we didn't eat gelato (and maybe on some days when we did), we went to this place around the corner called Baby Yogurt. This store had plain frozen yogurt with about a zillion toppings, including great fresh fruit. It was goo-ood. And now I get to my point. You can now have the Baby Yogurt experience right here in Philadelphia!! Yogorino, on the corner of 20th and Locust is, as far as I can tell, Baby Yogurt brought to America (also, it says "baby yogurt" on the back of their shirts. I was so excited I called Marni to tell her I was in Baby Yogurt.)

The goods: The yogurt a bit softer then soft serve and comes in one flavor. It is tangy and just tart enough, and the toppings (first one is free!) include fresh fruit, nuts, and a delicious pistachio sauce. Each time I have it I wish I had ordered a bigger size. The staff is friendly, and as far as I can tell, are Americans, but speak lovely Italian amongst themselves. This is one of those deserts you can convince yourself is healthy for you, and I suppose it is, compared to Mr. Softee (which is, if you don't know already, shockingly unhealthy). I'm just pleased to have it on my continent and in my neighborhood.

Bordeaux Cupcakes

The folks at See's Candies contacted me a while back asking if I wanted to create a dish inspired by one of their chocolate confections. I jumped at the chance- not only because it meant free candy, but because it meant See's Candy. I grew up in San Francisco, and remeber their stores from my childhood. I would go into their store on Irving St with my friend Teresa. They gave free samples, and all the women who worked there dressed in a white uniform. I remember the bordeauxs- a rich, brown sugar fondant enrobed in milk or dark chocolate. You can get some See's products out here on the East Coast, but not their chocolates. (their lollipops are great though). After tasting the bordeaux again, I decided to highlight the brown sugar in the center.

I devised these Bordeaux Cupcakes- a brown sugar cupcake frosted with dark chocolate buttercream and topped with chocolate vermicelli, just like the candy. I made them mini, so they're bite sized, just like the candy!

• Brown Sugar Cupcakes
• 
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake tins as directed as directed in the recipe you are following.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. In a separate, larger bowl, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

5. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.

6. To the butter mixture, add about one quarter of the flour mixture and mix well. Add about one quarter of the milk mixture and mix well. Continue alternating the flour mixture and milk mixture, beating after each addition until smooth.

7. Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.

8. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes out of the tins and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

2 tablespoons milk

2 oz melted bittersweet chocolate, best quality

Makes: About 3 cups of icing

Basically you put everything but the chocolate in a mixer, beat for a couple minutes till combines, add melted chocolate and more milk if necessary. This makes an icing excellent for piping.

Review: The Elephant Walk, Boston, MA

That's right kids, I'll Eat You is taking its restaurant reviews on the road! We found ourselves in Salem, Massachusetts, the Witchiest Place on Earth, for a wedding recently. Not impressed with the local dining options, we decided to take advantage of our proximity to Boston by visiting the Elephant Walk, renowned for its hard-to-come-by-in-Philadelphia Cambodian cuisine.

For those unfamiliar with it, Cambodian (or Khmer) food is in many ways similar to other Southeast Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese. But unlike Thai food, Khmer dishes are by and large not weighed down by sometimes oppressive richness and sweetness – and like Vietnamese, the cooking shows some evidence of colonial French influence. Our first experience with Khmer cooking was in Cambodia itself, during our honeymoon. After spending some time in Thailand, the relative simplicity and lightness we encountered was very refreshing, and we vowed to find a place closer to home where we could revisit these delights. We learned about the Elephant Walk because they created the only English-language Cambodian cookbook we could find, and making a few of its recipes yielded tasty results.

So one commuter train and a T ride later, we arrived at the Elephant Walk. The airy interior reminded us very much of the colonial-style architecture of the hotel we stayed at in Siem Reap, with its high ceilings and white walls. The only thing missing was Angkor beer on the menu (not an especially good beer by US standards, but tremendously refreshing, especially when you're only paying $1.50 a mug for it).

The Elephant Walk's menu is a bit unusual in that it features three distinct categories of dishes: "traditional Cambodian", which try to adhere to classic preparations; "original Cambodian", using traditional recipes as a starting point for further exploration; and "original French", which really is just straight-up French. If you don't know what you want, this makes for a lot to sift through, but given our single-minded focus on once again tasting Khmer cuisine, we new what to go for.

A great feature of the menu is several multi-course tasting options. If I recall correctly, $35 gets you four courses, or 3 for $30. The only drawback is that some dishes on the menu aren't available as part of the tasting option.

Lauren and our two friends both did a tasting. Everyone else started with the Rouleaux, which are basically spring rolls filled with ground pork, beanthread noodles and crushed peanuts. Smiles all around for these and the tasty dipping sauce that came alongside.

I had the Soupe Phnom-Penh, named for the country's capital. It's a noodle soup, with sliced roasted pork and garnishes of scallion and cilantro. The most striking part of it was the broth: it was almost disarmingly subtle, not at all the kind of flavor you get in a typical stock. Though it was not bold in flavor, it did not lack in depth, and it instantly put me in the mind of the broth in a congee-like porridge I had for breakfast in Cambodia one morning.

A special chilled soup ordered by one of our friends sounded intriguing – made with avocado and orange. It turned out to be a little ... strange, and not quite what we were imagining. An inventive effort nonetheless.

For our main courses, Lauren and I both went with classics. She got the loc lac, which really could not be more simple – cubes of beef marinated in mushroom soy sauce and sautéed. Here's where the daring simplicity of Khmer cuisine comes out, because all that's needed is some lettuce and a squeeze of lime to make this a memorable dish.

I had the considerably more complicated Amok Royal. Amok is essentially a seafood curry made with coconut milk and, according to the menu, "complex Khmer seasonings". Served as a neat little package inside a banana leaf, it wasn't "saucy" at all like a typical curry, but rather the seafood, coconut and spices merged into a heady parcel of flaky, subtly sweet, and wonderfully seasoned fish. I regret not being able to finish it all, or at the very least having no way to take the rest home (thanks to our fridge-less hotel rooms!).

Our friends both had a preparation of beef short ribs, which they reported as very well cooked. As part of their tasting, one had dessert from the totally Western sweets menu. I think it was a pretty standard chocolate torte.

As we ran off to catch our trains back to Salem, it was clear that everyone was satisfied. The only troubling thing is how far we'd have to go to find decent Cambodian food again. Sure, Boston is closer than Phnom-Penh, but getting delivery from either place is downright impractical. We got a tip once that you can barge in on Khmer family picnics on Sundays down at FDR Park and buy a treat or two – stay tuned for a report from this culinary adventure, if we work up the nerve to try it!

Review: Kanella

One of my colleagues is getting married and moving to Dubai, so as a congratulations/farewell, we decided to take her out to the Greek/Cyprusese Cyprusian Cypriot restaurant Kanella at 10th & Spruce. Luckily, there was room for our unannounced party of eight in the sunny dining room, where the smooth, white stuccoed walls put you in a Mediterranean mindset, even if you've never been to Cyprus or Greece.

As Cyprus is one of those places that has had the pleasure of being invaded and fought over throughout its history, the menu reflects both Greek and more Middle Eastern/Turkish influences. In fact, it seems ideally located on the continuity of tastiness that runs from Mediterranean to Middle Eastern cuisine.

We started with a few plates of hummus, served with warm, soft pita. The hummus was on the thinner side of the spectrum, but still very tasty and topped with olive oil and a small salad of lettuce, tomato and radish.

A few people had their eyes on the Cyprus Calamari, actually a grilled sepia, but were forced to make other plans when our waitress told them they were all out. Some went for the Kanella platter, a nice sampler of grape leaves, falafel, zucchini fritter, tabouleh, and some salad-y items. I had the grilled halloumi and lounza sandwich. Halloumi is the magical non-melting cheese, with a texture like a very firm and dry mozzarella, but a salty taste more like feta. Lounza is a smoked pork loin that could certainly be mistaken for ham or Canadian bacon in a dark room. Served on a lovely multigrain and seed-studded roll, the grilled flavor of the cheese and the smokey pork made for a great combo.

I also got to sample a coworker's lacham atzeen, which is an Armenian dish featuring spiced ground lamb with mint served on a flatbread with pine nuts. The tart yet slightly sweet yogurt on the side added a wonderful richness to the tasty lamb.

Most of the table ended up getting dessert. One was the mahalepi, a white pudding topped with rosewater syrup and pistachios. It was maybe a little too rosy for my taste, but still refreshing. The other dessert ordered was galatopoureko, which is fillo pastry filled with semolina custard, topped with orange syrup. The custard had an almost bread pudding-like consistency, and the honied orange syrup and preserved orange slices served on the side were delectable.

Perhaps the best part of the meal was the price – all of the entrees are under $12, making it a perfect spot for a sit-down lunch. The overall quality of the flavors and preparation exceeded anything at any Greek restaurant I've ever been to, and the freshness of everything was evident. Plus, the place, though BYOB, is conveniently situated right across the street from Varga Bar, so if you're in the mood you can get your beer on either before or after. (I don't suppose Varga would be too happy with you ordering a pint and walking it across the street?)

At any rate, I was sufficiently impressed that I'd love to come back for dinner (or breakfast, for which there are also quite a few menu selections). Lunch made a fine introduction to Cyprish Cypriot food, and we're lucky to have a place serving this cuisine nearby.

CEiMB: Breakfast Cookies

Despite the name "breakfast cookies" you may find yourself eating these cookies at any time of day. For breakfast, yes. For an afternoon snack. And for dessert. They should be renamed "any time cookies." Works for me.

I love how Ellie Kreiger designed this recipe- to contain tons of whole grains, healthy fats, and a ton of flavor. I had been thinking about cooking with baby food for a while- i mean, it's only pureed fruit, and it's great as a fat replacer in baking. I had some sweet potato baby food left over from a baby shower, so I used that. Toss in a little flaxseed, a little toasted coconut, and you're good to go.

These are definitely on my make-again list.

Breakfast Cookies

Ellie Kreiger

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

R2R: Beef Wellington

All I can say is that this dish is amazing! It cooks easily and perfectly, and the duxelles are an excellent accompaniment to the beef! We had homemade puff pastry in the freezer, so we used it, but I imagine this dish to be quite simple if you use pre-made pastry. We served this on Father's Day and it was deee-lish-us.

Beef Wellington

from Gordon Ramsay

3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen (follow directions on the package)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces mousse pate, available in specialty cheese and appetizer cases of larger markets (optional)

Directions
To make the Duxelles:

Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool completely.

To prepare the beef:

Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool completely.

I made the duxelles and seared the tenderloin about 10 hours in advance, and refrigerated both of them. It is important that these items are cold because you will be working with puff pastry, and if they're warm, they may cause the dough to melt before you get it in the oven.

About an hour before you plan to serve the Beef Wellington,preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together.

Spread the duxelles mixture down in a column down the middle of the rolled out puff pastry. Thinly slice the mousse and cover the duxelles with it - every square millimeter doesn't have to be covered, but you're trying to make sure that every serving gets beef, duxelle, and mousse.

Remove beef from refrigerator. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and brush all the edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the longer sides over the beef, and seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F (rare) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into 3/4-inch thick slices