Beef Wellington
Don´t be fooled into thinking that because this dish looks so impressive, it is super difficult to make – it really isn´t. A little time and attention is all it takes to create this showstopper of a dish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg of Beef fillet
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 50 g butter
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 12 slices prosciutto
- 2 eggs yolks beaten with one teaspoon water
- 2 320g ready rolled puff pastry sheets
- one spring fresh thyme
- Flour for dusting
Instructions
- Sit the beef in a roasting tray and brush with a little olive and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in an oven at 220ºc for around 20 minutes for medium or 30 minutes for a more well done meat. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before chilling in the fridge.
- Chop the mushrooms finely – a food processor can be used for this. They need to be like breadcrumbs.
- Heat the butter with two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook the mushrooms with the sprig of thyme for around 10 minutes stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper then add the wine to the pan. Cook for a further ten minutes until the wine has been absorbed. It should hold its shape when done and not be runny. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme. Allow to cool.
- Place two large pieces of clingfilm over a large chopping board and lay the prosciutto across the film. Spread half of the mushroom mixture onto the prosciutto then place the cooled beef on top. Top with the remaining mushroom mixture.
- Use the clingfilm to roll the prosciutto around the beef and wrap tightly. Place back in the fridge to chill.
- Line a baking tray with parchment and dust with flour. Place one of the unrolled sheets of pastry onto the baking sheet. Remove the beef from the clingfilm and sit onto the pastry. Brush the egg wash all around the edges of the pastry and the top and side of the beef. Carefully drape the second sheet of pastry over the beef.
- Cut the excess pastry from the base sheet and set aside. Seal the edges with a fork. Using the spare cuts of pastry cut out leaf shapes and stick to the top of the wellington with egg wash. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes and upto 24 hours.
- Heat the oven to 20 and brush all over with egg wash. Place in the oven for 30 minutes for medium and 45 minutes for well done. If the pastry becomes too golden cover with foil to prevent burning. Leave to stand for ten minutes before serving in thick slices.
Notes
How to Clean Mushrooms:
I haven’t washed them in water because mushrooms absorb the moisture the water and then when you cook them that water comes back out and it makes a soggy mixture. So if you’re cleaning mushrooms, you just need a damp cloth, take any dirt off them and then that’s the best way to clean mushrooms.
Curiosity:
Wrapping a piece of quality meat in a puff pastry is an 18th-century French culinary tradition, which was invented to keep the precious meat fresh and juicy. This invention was then taken to England and Ireland, where Beef Wellington was named after the historic hero Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, a field marshal who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @HomeCookingWithJulieNeville on Instagram and hashtag it #CookingLikeJulie.
