Beef Wellington
Fillet of beef in mushroom duxelles and puff pastry
BritishBeef Wellington is the grand centrepiece of British Christmas and celebration dinners, a whole beef fillet coated in finely chopped mushroom duxelles, wrapped in thin pancakes or ham and golden puff pastry, then sliced at the table to show a pink middle. It is linked, without much proof, to the Duke of Wellington. This version wraps the fillet in crêpes instead of the usual Parma ham. The duxelles is deglazed with a splash of white wine, which contains alcohol; use a little stock for an alcohol-free version. Chef's tip: chill the wrapped fillet before it goes in the pastry so everything stays tight and the base doesn't go soggy.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beef
- 2 ¼ lb beef fillet, centre cuttrimmed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp English mustard
For the duxelles
- 1 ⅛ lb chestnut mushrooms
- ⅞ oz butter
- 2 shallotsfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 3 ½ tbsp white wine or stock
To wrap
- 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastry
- 2 egg yolksbeaten with 1 tsp water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season the 2 ¼ lb beef fillet, centre cut with the 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Sear in the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a very hot pan for 1–2 minutes a side until browned all over. Brush with the 2 tbsp English mustard while warm and cool.
10 minStep 2: Blitz the 1 ⅛ lb chestnut mushrooms very finely. Cook with the ⅞ oz butter, 2 shallots, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp thyme leaves over a medium-high heat for 12–15 minutes, until all the liquid has gone. Add the 3 ½ tbsp white wine or stock and cook until dry again. Cool.
20 minStep 3: Overlap the 4 thin plain crêpes, 20 cm on cling film, spread with the duxelles, put the beef at one edge and roll up tightly in the film, twisting the ends. Chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 4: Roll the 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastry into a rectangle big enough to wrap the beef. Unwrap the beef, place it on the pastry, brush the edges with 2 egg yolks and wrap, seams underneath. Trim, brush all over with egg and score lightly. Chill 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) with a tray inside.
30 minStep 5: Bake on the hot tray for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and a probe in the centre reads 126°F for rare, 131°F for medium-rare or 145°F for medium. Whole beef cuts are safe pink in the middle because the outside was seared.
38 minStep 6: Rest for 10 minutes before slicing thickly with a serrated knife. A common mistake is cutting it straight away, which lets the juices soak the pastry.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 46 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beef Wellington take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of chestnut mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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