Individual Antelope filets coated with mushrooms, caramelized shallots, spinach, Gorgonzola cheese and wrapped in a puff pastry.
I just heard this from a friend the other day that we really eat well. I said, “We sure do!”
It’s like having a garden and enjoying your bounty. You grew that so of course you want to take the time to really make it something special. It’s the same rule of thumb with the bounty we bring home from the field. I want to take the time to ensure that we enjoy everything we eat.
Now, in all honesty, there have been several things I don’t share on this website. I call those the ‘guinea pig’ recipes. The ones that sound really good in concept but don’t turn out the way you’d hope.
For instance, I’ve found after cooking Wellington over and over again that I like my meat seriously seared on the exterior to lock in the juices. I’ve also noted that when using spinach and mushrooms – that the extra moisture tends to soften the inner lining of the pastry.
To avoid that, I’ve started squeezing the extra water from the spinach after cooking as well putting the cooked mushrooms in a small colander to help to remove additional liquid. There always seems to be a little trial and error involved in order to reach the ultimate personal perfection when cooking. HAHAHA.
I look forward to hearing from others on how their Wild Game Wellingtons turn out! Enjoy
Ingredients
- 4 (4 inch in length) Antelope Backstraps
- 8 oz Baby Portabella Mushrooms (chopped)
- 4 Cups Fresh Spinach (chopped)
- 4 oz Gorgonzola Cheese (mild blue cheese)
- 2 Shallots (chopped)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
- Fresh Thyme and Tarragon
- 5 tablespoons butter
- Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets), thawed
- 1 egg
- Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter, shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Add fresh tarragon and thyme to mushroom mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the cast iron skillet and toss spinach over medium-high heat until wilted. Remove spinach and set aside. Squeeze spinach with a paper towel to remove some of the excess water. Set spinach aside.
- Season each portion of antelope on both sides with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. Add remaining butter to skillet. Sear antelope over high heat for 3/4 minutes on each side until brown and crisp on the outside. Remove from heat.
- On your counter arrange mushrooms, spinach, Gorgonzola cheese and antelope. In a small bowl gently whisk an egg and 1 tablespoon of water.
- Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Unfold the pastry sheets on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a rectangle. Cut each sheet in half so you can use for 4 antelope backstraps.
- In the center of the pastry add spinach, Gorgonzola cheese, mushrooms and antelope. Then top with mushrooms, cheese and spinach. Fold the pastry over the meat and press to seal. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg wash.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
