Beef Wellington is a rich and refined meat main course, ideal for surprising your guests with an elegant and theatrical preparation and a unique, distinctive taste. This recipe, which brings together the delicacy of the beef tenderloin with the golden, crispy crust of puff pastry, contains a mix of unique aromas and flavors. The Beef Wellington recipe requires some kitchen skill: it involves the double cooking of the tenderloin, which is first seared in a pan, then brushed with mustard and mushroom paste, and finally wrapped in prosciutto, in crepes and then in puff pastry, to finish cooking in the oven. Prepared this way, the Wellington acquires a unique and inviting appearance when sliced and a refined yet flavorful taste. Although the preparation requires attention and patience, the result is very rewarding, giving us a high-cuisine dish that brings elegance, good taste and joy to the table. You can serve it with a good brown sauce or a mashed potato. But what is the origin of Beef Wellington? It seems that the Duke of Wellington — Arthur Wellesley — a title received after winning the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, was known not only for his strategic abilities but also for his demanding palate. It is said that the chefs in his service never quite managed to satisfy him despite striving to create ever more sophisticated and original dishes. Fired one after another, only one dish truly won him over: a roast in pastry that for color and shape recalled his boots, the famous Beef Wellington, one of the most iconic English dishes, later popularized again by Gordon Ramsay. These are, however, legends and nothing is certain, except that this dish is as delicious as it is demanding. Ready to try it in the kitchen with me? Let’s discover the Beef Wellington recipe, but if the execution scares you and you want something simpler, here is the classic Roast Beef recipe, equally good, or take a look at the collection dedicated to Budget-friendly roast recipes for Christmas and beyond.
Finally, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also watch:
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients to make Beef Wellington
- 18 oz puff pastry (2 rectangular rolls)
- 2.2 lbs beef tenderloin
- 14 slices prosciutto crudo
- 4 tbsp mustard
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- as needed egg (beaten for finishing)
- 0.8 cup all-purpose flour
- 7.5 fl oz milk
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2 tbsp butter
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1.8 lbs white button mushrooms (champignon)
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch garlic (fresh or powdered)
Tools
- Oven
- Frying pan
- Crepe pan
- Thermometer
- Baking tray
Preparation of Beef Wellington
To make Beef Wellington, start by cleaning the mushrooms: remove the stems and wipe them well with kitchen paper; do not wash them, as they would absorb too much water. Put them in a food processor and chop them until you obtain a paste.
Collect the mushroom paste in a pan and let it simmer over high heat so that all the moisture evaporates. Season with salt, add the butter and garlic (if you like), stir and let it thicken a little more, then set aside to cool.
Prepare the crepes. Put the flour in a bowl and thin it with the milk poured little by little to avoid lumps. Add the egg, salt and pepper, mix until you have a smooth batter.
Pour one quarter of the batter into a hot 10-inch nonstick pan and, as soon as the crepe has set, flip and cook the other side. Repeat until the batter is used up. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Trim any silver skin and excess fat from the tenderloin, rub with salt and pepper and sear over high heat in a very hot nonstick pan with a little oil.
Brown the meat, turning it on all sides so it seals. Remove from the heat, transfer to a rack and let rest for 10 minutes, then brush generously with mustard.
Arrange the prosciutto slices on a sheet of plastic wrap so they lie neatly together. Spread the mushroom paste over them and place the tenderloin in the center.
Wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin using the plastic wrap to help, form a parcel and let it rest another 10 minutes. Exactly as you did with the prosciutto, lay another sheet of plastic wrap and place the crepes on it in an orderly, slightly overlapping manner.
Unwrap the tenderloin parcel, place it on the crepes and wrap them around the meat using the plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 20 minutes. Now move everything onto a large sheet of puff pastry, wrap the meat and
if one sheet of pastry is not enough, patch it with a piece of the second. Decorate with strips of puff pastry,
and brush with beaten egg. Transfer the Wellington to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 35-40 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness desired.
Rare: 122–126°F, Medium: 140–145°F, Well done: 158–167°F. Pork: Medium: 145–154°F, Well done: 162–167°F.
Once out of the oven, let the Wellington rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Storage and tips
Beef Wellington should be eaten hot and just out of the oven. Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 1–2 days after reheating in the oven at low temperature (about 248°F) for about ten minutes.
If you want to stay updated on my recipes, follow me also on:
Pinterest; Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
From here you can return to the HOME and discover new recipes!
