Elisabeth Ayrton

Fillet of Beef

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

Appears in

The Cookery of England

The Cookery of England

By Elisabeth Ayrton

Published 1975

Always expensive but always tender, though with perhaps a little less flavour than rump. There is little waste since it is boneless. A whole fillet usually weighs about 2½ lb. and will serve 8 people, but smaller ones can be bought.

Ingredients

For a Plain Roast

  • Fillet of beef
  • 3 oz. (90 g.) butter
  • flour
  • seasoning

Method

Trim off all skin and fat. Rub the fillet all over with highly seasoned flour and brush with 1 oz. melted butter. Put the other 2 oz. butter in the roasting tin and lay the beef on it. Put into oven preheated to 400° F., gas mark 6, and after 10 minutes reduce heat to 325° F., gas mark 3. Baste well at this point. Allow a further 20 minutes if the piece of fillet weighs 1–1½ lb. (below ¾ k.), a further 30 minutes if it weighs 1½-2 lb. (¾-1 k.), and 40 minutes if it weighs 2–2½ lb. (1–1¼ k.). Baste twice more. Serve with gravy made in the pan in which it cooked, using stock and a little red wine. Best served with creamed potatoes and a green vegetable or a plain green salad.

©1975 The Estate of Elizabeth Ayrton