How to Make a Classic Beef Wellington
This is the perfect centrepiece to a family feast and a handy recipe to have in your repertoire
- 20g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500g chestnut mushrooms
- 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
- A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 1kg beef fillet, fat trimmed and tied
- Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 10–12 slices of Parma ham
- 2x230g packs of puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- To serve
- Creamy mashed potatoes, seasonal greens and roasted carrots
- Beef and red wine jus
- Dijon mustard or horseradish
Take the fillet beef out of the fridge one hour before cooking.
Begin by placing the unsalted butter and one tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan and gently heating. Then add the finely diced onion and fry slowly until completely soft and translucent, then add the crushed garlic and fry for another minute or so.
Place the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until they are finely diced with no big pieces. Then tip these mushrooms into the pan with the onion and garlic. Fry the mushrooms until all the liquid has completely evaporated and they are cooked through. This will take approximately 15 minutes. Add the picked thyme leaves and chopped parsley for the final five minutes of cooking.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, season them with a pinch of Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and some cracked black pepper and set aside to cool. Once cool, set into the fridge to cool completely and firm up.
Next, take the fillet of beef and season it generously on all sides with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and cracked black pepper. Place a large frying pan onto a medium high heat and allow it to get very hot. Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and then sear the beef on all sides so it gets a lovely caramelisation all the way around. Do not take longer than two minutes in total to sear the beef, it should be very raw inside still. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. After the beef has rested, remove any string and brush the outside with the Dijon mustard.
Place a couple of large pieces of clingfilm onto the kitchen surface. Then line this with the Parma ham slices in an even layer to ensure they will completely enclose the beef. Make sure there is a little excess clingfilm around the edges. Next take the chilled mushroom duxelles from the fridge and spoon this on top of the Parma ham, spreading it in an even layer. Finally place the beef fillet on one edge and then use the clingfilm to enclose the remaining fillings around the beef, rolling it as tightly as possible as you can. Twist the ends of the clingfilm to make a secure sausage shape.
Place the wrapped beef fillet into the fridge and leave to chill and firm up for at least one hour (this can be prepared the day before).
Next, unroll the pastry, keeping it on the parchment paper as this will help with the rolling. Take the beef from the fridge and place it in the middle of the pastry and close-up the sides – if you need to use some of the second sheet of pastry you can, just make sure the ends are well sealed and the seal is at the bottom. Then use the beaten egg to neatly secure the pastry around the beef, tucking the ends underneath. Any excess pastry can be used to cut thin strips and create a lattice pattern on the top.
Place the wellington onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush it all over with the beaten egg, then place in the fridge for another hour to firm up. When ready to bake preheat the oven to 200C.
Place the beef wellington into the oven for 35 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the pastry with some Maldon Original Sea Salt and thyme leaves.
Slice into one-inch pieces and serve with creamy mash, seasonal spring vegetables and a beef jus.
