Beef Wellington is a traditional British pie made with fillet steak that’s wrapped with mushroom duxelles and prosciutto inside puff pastry. Some versions include extra layers of pâté and crêpes. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is famous for his rendition of beef Wellington, which has often been featured on his popular cooking competition TV show Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a dish known for its complexity owing to the multiple steps required to make it.
Watch our video tutorial here:
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Beef Wellington
Serves: 4–5
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the beef:
- 900g beef fillet
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup wholegrain mustard
- 225g prosciutto
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the mushroom duxelles:
- 4 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- a few sprigs fresh thyme
For the pastry:
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- salt
- fresh thyme
Method:
- Generously season the beef fillet with salt and pepper on all sides. Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper into the meat while rolling and shaping it into a cylinder. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Once the pan is hot, sear the beef, cooking just a minute or so per side. Remove to a baking tray and, while hot, brush the mustard all over and then let it rest.
- In the same pan, leave any meat juices and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and, when hot, add the finely chopped mushrooms. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the thyme. Stirring frequently to make sure the mushrooms don’t stick to the pan, cook until all the moisture has evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Moisten a cutting board with a damp towel. Place cling film on the board. Layer the prosciutto slices on the board, then spread the mushroom duxelles over the prosciutto. Pour any resting juices from the beef over the mushrooms, then place the beef on top of the prosciutto. Use the cling film to lift as you pull the prosciutto and mushrooms over the beef. Once everything is rolled up, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C. Moisten the cutting board again, then place down another piece of cling film. Put the sheet of puff pastry in the centre. Lightly brush the pastry with the beaten egg yolk. Unwrap the beef and place it on the pastry, one-third of the way up. Lift the cling film and roll the pastry over the beef until all the edges are covered. Discard the cling film and smooth the ends, then apply more egg wash. Use a fork or the back of a knife to create a decorative pattern. Sprinkle salt and thyme on top. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Place your beef Wellington on a baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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