Chef Florian Wehrli was born in Switzerland and discovered his passion for cooking at just two years old working in the kitchen with his mother. Immediately realizing that cooking was his passion and future, Wehrli embarked on a culinary journey from Europe and across the United States, eventually leading to his current role as the Executive Chef of French/American restaurant Triomphe in Manhattan’s Iroquois New York hotel.

Wehrli completed his culinary apprenticeship in Switzerland under renowned Chef Georges Wenger at his two-star Michelin restaurant, earning the designation of ‘Best Apprentice of Switzerland.’ Chef Wehrli then sharpened his culinary skills over the years at premier establishments. He worked under Jean-Louis Palladin at The Mark in New York; led the kitchen at Andre’s in Las Vegas; opened his own restaurant, Chimney Park Bistro, in Windsor, CO; and most recently oversaw five award-winning restaurants as the Executive Sous Chef at Crystal Springs Resort in New Jersey.

Chef Wehrli prides himself on establishing relationships with local farmers, ranchers, cheese makers and more. While in Colorado, he created Chef’s Basket, an innovative concept that brought in culinary education along with a casual bistro and catering service, all focused on promoting local ingredients and producers. Wehrli organized the past two editions of the New Jersey Food and Wine festival featuring Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, David Burke and other star chefs from all over the country.

Bison Wellington by Florian Wehrli

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried Morels mushrooms (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup warm water
1 (2- to 3-pound) center-cut bison tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 6 steaks
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ lb. Cremini mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Italian parsley
6 ounces Foie Gras (optional)
6 slices of pancetta
6 sheets of Brik dough (can be purchased at specialty gourmet stores, or search online)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions
Please note that each piece of bison will be individually wrapped to make its own wellington package. Makes a gorgeous presentation on a big platter.

Soak the morels in the warm water. Let sit to softened, about 30 minutes. Pull the mushrooms out of the water and rinse one time to remove any leftover sand and dirt. Finely chop the morels and set aside. Strain the liquid thru a cloth or fine sieve, and reserve.

Season the bison with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with the oil. Place the meat in the pan and sear it on every side, adding ½ tablespoon of butter at the end to avoid burning it. Finish cooking the meat to a “rare” temperature in the oven (about 5-6 minutes).

Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a separate medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the Morels, Cremini mushrooms, and garlic, and sauté for a minute. Add the soaking liquid and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and cook until the mushroom mixture has released most of its moisture and appears dry, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and parsley, and stir to combine.

If using Foie Gras, slice 6 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan (use no grease). Set aside.

To build the Wellington, lay a sheet of brick dough on the cutting board, lay a thin slice of pancetta in the middle, and spoon some of the mushroom mixture on it. Place one of the steaks on it, top with the Foie Gras, and finish with more mushrooms. Close the bundle to form a purse shape. Tie the top with a skewer or piece of string. Repeat the process for all the steaks.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the purses to a baking sheet and cook in the oven until golden brown (5-7minutes). Pull out of the oven and let rest for 5 min. before serving. Serve with a red wine sauce.