Stuffed beef fillet with parsley sauce

Filled with kale, almonds, feta and Parmesan cheese, this beef fillet is a real winner for the festive season. This dish adds a sophisticated edge to your meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 kg beef fillet
  • 275 g cavolo nero, woody stems removed, plus a few extra leaves to serve
  • 100 g blanched almonds, chopped
  • 175 g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 50 g parmesan, finely grated
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 300 ml whole milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180° fan) and set a wire rack inside a large roasting tin.

Step 2.
Bore a hole through the centre of the beef fillet with a long sharp boning knife.

Step 3.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the cavolo nero for 1 minute. Refresh the leaves in iced water, then use a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.

Step 4.
Put the cavolo nero in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the almonds and pulse again a few times, then add the feta, parmesan and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Season with black pepper, then pulse a few more times until the mixture clumps together like a stuffing.

Step 5.
Pack the stuffing into the cavity in the beef, using a sharpening steel to help you. Tie the fillet with string at 2.5 cm (1-inch) intervals if preferred. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 6.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan and sear the fillet all over until nicely browned. Transfer the meat to the prepared roasting tin and roast for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 60°C (140F). Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest somewhere warm while you make the sauce.   

Step 7.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smoothly combined, then stir over a medium heat until the sauce simmers and thickens. Stir the egg yolk into the lemon juice, then whisk the mixture into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 8.
Cut the beef into thick slices and serve on a bed of cavolo nero leaves, with the sauce in a jug on the side.

Serves 6 – 8

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