Beef Wellington

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Published July 12, 2023  ·  ⭐ 4.5 (10 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
1 hr	30 min	2 hr 30 min	4 servings

Difficulty: Hard

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Ingredients

Wellington

• 800 g beef tenderloin (centre-cut), trimmed
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper

Mushroom Duxelles

• 500 g chestnut mushrooms
• 3 shallots, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 50 ml dry sherry or Madeira
• Salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

• 8 slices Parma ham or prosciutto
• 500 g all-butter puff pastry
• 2 egg yolks, beaten with 1 tbsp cream

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Steps Overview

1. Sear and mustard-coat the beef; chill
2. Cook duxelles until completely dry
3. Wrap beef in Parma ham and duxelles; chill
4. Encase in puff pastry; chill again
5. Score, egg wash, and roast to medium-rare

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Step-by-Step

1. Sear the beef

Season the tenderloin generously with salt and pepper. Sear in a very hot, oiled pan for 2 minutes on each side and each end until deeply browned all over. Brush immediately with Dijon mustard. Cool completely, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Make the duxelles

Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Cook shallots and garlic in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme, increase heat, and cook, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes until every last drop of moisture has evaporated. Add the sherry, cook until dry again. Season well. Cool completely.

3. First wrap

Lay out a large sheet of cling film. Arrange the Parma ham slices overlapping in a rectangle. Spread the duxelles evenly over the ham. Place the beef at one end and roll tightly using the cling film to form a neat log. Twist the ends to compact. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Wrap in pastry

Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap the beef. Remove the cling film from the beef and place it at one edge of the pastry. Roll up, sealing the seam underneath and tucking in the ends. Brush all over with egg wash. Score the top lightly in a crosshatch. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5. Roast

Preheat oven to 220 °C. Egg wash again. Roast for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp carving knife. Internal temperature: 52–54 °C for medium-rare.

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Notes

• The duxelles must be completely dry or the pastry will be soggy — cook them until they stick to the pan.
• Chilling at each stage keeps the fat in the pastry solid, ensuring great puff and crispness.
• Ask your butcher for a centre-cut tenderloin of even thickness for uniform cooking.
• Serve with a red wine jus, roasted potatoes, and wilted spinach.