Beef Wellington is one of the most well-known and classic meat dishes in cooking. This delicious combination of tender beef and flaky pastry will never go out of style.
Cook’s tips:
- If you prefer your fillet medium to well done, cook it for a little longer in the pan before wrapping it in pastry.
- For variations, spread the fillet with pâté de foie gras or chicken liver pâté before the duxelle layer.
- Use Parma ham instead of bacon.
- Use brioche pastry instead of puff pastry.
- Individual servings can be made by wrapping fillet medallions in pastry.
- Chefs often place a thin layer of crêpes between the bacon and the pastry, which absorb moisture and keep the pastry crispy.
Beef Wellington
Ingredients
Duxelle
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) fresh thyme
- 500g portabellini mushrooms, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1kg beef fillet, cleaned
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 20ml (4 tsp) oil, for browning
- 60ml (¼ cup) Dijon mustard
- 8 slices back bacon
- 400g ready-made puff pastry
- 1 large egg, whisked
Salad
- 20ml (4 tsp) olive oil
- 250g button mushrooms
- juice from ½ lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 200g asparagus, blanched
- 100g broccoli, blanched
- 100g croutons
- 50g Pecorino, shaved
- 110g bacon, fried until crispy
- 50g spring onions, chopped
- baby lettuce leaves
Dressing
- 2 large eggs
- 5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 50ml lemon juice
- 5ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
- lemon zest, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 100ml olive oil
- juice from mushroom pan
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the duxelle, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic and thyme. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring continuously, until the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is dry. Season to taste and add the parsley. Set aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Season the fillet. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the fillet to seal well.
Brush the fillet with the mustard, so that it is completely covered.
Lay out three large pieces of plastic wrap so that they overlap. Place the bacon on the plastic wrap, overlapping each piece a little. This must be the length of the fillet.
Spread the duxelle over the bacon, leaving one edge free, where it will overlap once rolled.
Place the fillet on the duxelle.
Roll the fillet tightly in the bacon, using the plastic wrap to secure the parcel. Leave it in a cool place until ready to use.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a rectangle large enough to fit the fillet.
Remove the fillet from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry.
Brush the pastry with the egg, fold the ends over and wrap the pastry around the beef, cutting off any excess. Seal the edges of the pastry and finish so that the pastry seam is underneath the fillet parcel.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the beef Wellington seam down. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg.
Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes. When ready to serve, slice the beef Wellington into rounds.
To make the salad, heat the olive oil in a small pot. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and season. Put the lid on and shake. Leave on the heat for about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely, with the lid on. Reserve the juice. Place the mushrooms in a bowl together with the remaining salad ingredients and toss to combine well.
For the dressing, place the eggs in boiling water and cook for 2 – 3minutes, then remove from the pot, peel and chop. Place the mustard in a bowl with the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and whisk well. Whisk in the zest, garlic, egg, olive oil and reserved mushroom juice and season, to taste. Serve beef Wellington slices with salad drizzled with the dressing.
Notes
To drink: A classic dish deserves a classically made wine. Try a Bordeaux-style blend.
Did you make this recipe? Tag us on Instagram @foodandhomesa
ALSO SEE: Peri-peri tomato chicken livers with ciabatta toasts
Feature image: Pexels
