I was invited by Heidi Kuyper, Sales & Marketing Executive of SA Chef Media, to join Episode 2 of the Live-Cook Channel last Thursday evening, learning to prepare Beef Wellington with the guidance of Chef Luke Dale Roberts of The Test Kitchen, and the MC for the show being Consultant Chef Pete.Goffe-Wood.
Live-Cook Channel launched the concept of cooking with celebrity chefs in the comfort of one’s own home, receiving the ingredients required for the meal delivered to one’s home, enough to serve a group of two or four diners, with guidance of a recipe card and by the celebrity chef via the broadcast on a YouTube channel as to how to prepare a signature dish.
As I grew up in Wellington, and we were making Beef Wellington, I invited my dear friend 
Jenny Stephens, whom I have known from our first day at school in Wellington. She was a godsend, well informed through watching MasterChef Australia. Both being single, we do not cook very often, so there was an added element of fun in being challenged to prepare such an intricate dish.
On last Thursday morning Daily Dish dropped off an impressive looking box, crammed with ingredients that we would need to prepare our Beef Wellington for 4 persons, including fillet medallions, mushrooms, cream, beans, shallots, garlic, pale dry sherry, puff pastry, pancetta, thyme, a base Café au Lait, and black pepper, carefully packed and kept cold with ice packs.
I had to check how my oven works, a very high-tech Siemens, I only using it once a year. Between the two of us we got it working and pre-set it at 200 C.
I found the link on the YouTube Channel, and we were streamed into Chef Luke Dale Roberts’ kitchen, as well as the lounge of Chef 
Peter Goffe-Wood, who was the MC for the show, asking Chef Luke questions, such as how to prevent having one’s hands smell of garlic, and how to not cry when chopping onions.
MasterChick Jenny got going with the Duxelle, chopping mushrooms, adding thyme, and then the cream and sherry, cooking it off until the liquid reduced. We excluded the garlic and shallots out of choice.
I salted and peppered the steak medallions, and these were added to a pan over high heat, seared for a few seconds on each side, after which they went into the fridge. Each medallion was topped with the duxelle, encased in the pancetta, and then covered with the puff pastry. After 20 minutes in the fridge they were ready to go into the oven for 16 minutes. Once the pastry was golden brown, each medallion was cut in half.
The Café au Lait sauce was made from the base liquid provided (including brandy, red wine, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce), to which cream was added. 
An absolutely delightful sauce.
Chef Luke showed us how to plate the dish, with the green beans leaning against the fillet.
We were very proud of our final presentation, and even more so of the deliciousness of something we had created ourselves. Jenny paired her fillet with Woolies Cabernet Sauvignon, 
while I had mine with Woolies Shiraz. A most wonderful evening.
The next episode is on Thursday 9 July at 18h00. It costs R425 for 2 and R595 for 4 persons to participate, receiving the ingredients delivered to one’s home: at R212,50/R148,75 per person it’s a steal, and great fun too!
Chef Benny Masekwameng, a former MasterChef South Africa Judge, will be the Celebrity Chef of Episode 3, preparing Grilled Salmon Trout. Chef Pete Goffe-Wood will be the MC once again.
Episode 1 featured Chef Franck Dangereux and Chef Pete Goffe-Wood as the MC.
Live-Cook Channel: www.livecookchannel.co.za Tickets: www.webtickets.co.za Facebook: Live-Cook Channel. Instagram: @livecookchannel
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein
20
3070
27k
20