Roast dinners are wonderful, but can really take a long time to prepare. And one of the key worries is the main event: the meat. Is it seasoned enough? Is it moist enough? Is it cooked all the way through?
It can be a challenge. But I found something different this year that will make you want to ditch the meat joints for an easy frozen alternative: the Iceland Luxury Beef Wellington. There has been a bit of a spotlight on the classic beef wellington this year after M&S announced its festive food, which included a £195 version by TV chef Tom Kerridge. While I did not try the contriverally priced one from Marks, I did sample the Iceland one, and it is £165 cheaper (or £180 cheaper as it was slashed to just £15 over Christmas).
I tried this wellington last year, and I think it is one of Iceland’s best products. It is a delicious cut of beef with a pork and mushroom stuffing, all covered in a buttery puff pastry.
And it is so simple to prepare. You can defrost before cooking for a reduced overall cook time, or cook straight from frozen.
Before placing in the oven, simply give it an egg or milk wash to help the pastry look golden brown and shiny when it is done.
There is one tip I would give: while it comes in a foil tray, I would take it out and cook on one of your own oven trays, as this makes it easier to turn over and crisp up the bottom, which we found needed to be done to avoid a soggy pastry.
But once it is in, you are free to prepare any side dishes and relax. Once it is done, leave it to rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
The rich stuffing is so full of flavour it is going to impress your guests, and it complements the rich beef perfectly. The beef itself is of nice quality, and if you’re getting cooking right, it will have a lovely texture with the crunch from the pastry.
You can cook the beef to your preference; we usually aim for medium rather than rare. The pastry is wonderfully crisp and buttery, a great indulgent mix to be the star of the plate.
This is such an easy, low-effort way to show off in the kitchen and entertain. We got six really good portions out of this. It was £30 and is now priced at £15. While sold out online, you may be able to get your hands on the last few in store.
