Classic 50's recipes to make in 2016

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© Jessica Gavin

Beef Wellington

It's hard to know which decade to place the Beef Wellington in: it was a hallmark of the 50's, the 60's and the 70's! Made by wrapping a high grade fillet steak in pâté (fois gras if you could get it) and puff pastry, which was then baked together, it was an expensive, tricky and oh-so-classy, which made it the perfect show-off dish. Imagine presenting this at the table with a flourish, then carving into the golden crust to reveal a perfectly cooked medium steak.  It's quite hard to master the two-stage timing required for the classic recipe, which is why we love this updated, individual-portion version. You pan-sear your steak, then wrap it up before baking to get that gorgeous pastry crust. This recipe also substitutes pâté for a rich mushroom filling, so it's even easier on the wallet.