Although the exact origin of the beef Wellington isn’t known, most diners can agree that few things beat a succulent cut of meat wrapped in flaky puff pastry. Traditionally, a centre-cut beef tenderloin lies at the heart of the time-consuming dish, surrounded by a paste of minced mushrooms – or duxelles – which is why Terrace Chow’s New Zealand lamb version caught our eye.
Part of the Wooloomooloo group, H Queen’s newest restaurant, Omaroo Grill seeks to reimagine the traditional steakhouse by blending heritage with bold new ideas.
Chef Terrace Chow at Omaroo Grill. Photo: Handout
While there’s also a traditional beef Wellington on the menu, Omaroo Grill’s lamb version is accompanied by two lamb racks crusted in breadcrumbs, rosemary, thyme, garlic and olive oil. A rosemary red wine sauce, which accompanies the meat, uses trimmings of whole lamb, aromatics and red wine, simmered to a rich consistency.
Omaroo New Zealand coastal lamb rack and lamb fillet Wellington. Photo: Handout
With just 10 portions served daily, the signature has been labelled the “go-to Wellington” by fans of the restaurant. “After trying it, they were really impressed – not just by the size of the dish, but by how well the flavours worked,” says Chow. “[Hearing this] was such a nice moment because it showed how our twist on a classic could really resonate with someone.”
Ensuring the lamb fillet’s flavours stay intact, Chow prepares a mushroom duxelles – mushrooms, shallots, garlic, Madeira wine and herbs, which are sautéed, reduced and cooled – to coat the meat. Then, the fillet is wrapped in spinach before adding a “home-made crepe layer”, a chicken liver pâté and the home-made puff pastry.
“To create a unique dish, we replaced the traditional duxelles with layers of rich chicken mousse, sweet pea purée, and tangy sheep milk cheese.
“While traditional beef Wellington typically includes beef liver pâté, I opted for chicken liver pâté because it complements the milder flavour of lamb better than beef pâté would,” Chow explains.