Smoked Mackerel Pâté followed by Beef Wellington and to finish, Chocolate Fondant

Last night was my Grandparent's final night in Perth, and instead of going out to a restaurant for dinner, my parents asked if I would like to cook a special farewell meal. This is the first time I have ever cooked a 3 course meal and it was harder than I thought. Again it was the timing that caused me more problems than the technicality of making the food. The smoked mackerel pate is a 'chuck everything in and whizz' kind of recipe, just like the hummus and chicken liver pâté. I served the Smoked Mackerel Pâté in a DIY manner, with crackers and knives.
For similar recipe go to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/smoked_mackerel_pt_with_36210

Ratings:
Taste: 9
Appearance: 8
Difficulty: 4

The recipe book describes Beef Wellington as a "rich, luxurious dish that is perfect for entertaining", which seemed a good description for the occasion. I surrounded the beef with mushroom duxelles, before wrapping it in puff pastry. I followed the recipe to a T and cooked it for the required period of time, but I found it difficult to gauge the readiness of the fillet in the middle. The fillet was wide as well as long, so unfortunately when I cut it open, the meat was perfectly cooked around the outside, but blue in the middle. Don't get me wrong, we love rare beef, but this was still saying "moo"! I accompanied the Beef Wellington with truffle sauteed cabbage and chipped garlic potatoes.
For similar recipe go to:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2538/beef-wellington

Ratings:
Taste: 10
Appearance: 6
Difficulty: 7

I looked through the cookbook for something to finish off this luxurious dinner. The chocolate fondants seemed perfect and weren't extremely difficult to make. Chocolate fondant should be a cake on the outside and gooey chocolate sauce in the middle. If I could criticize anything about this recipe, it would be the cooking times, which in this case weren't specific enough. The top was cooked perfectly, which unfortunately hid the fact that the mixture underneath was incredibly gooey and probably under done. Again, it's a bit like eating cake mixture before it's cooked - delicious, but in small quantities! This was very rich and filling, which meant that my brother got to finish 3 chocolate fondants! I stoned cherries to serve with the dessert and sprinkled icing sugar on the top.
For similar recipe go to:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8168/chocolate-fondant

Ratings:
Taste: 10
Appearance: 10
Difficulty: 5