Beef Wellington

Serves 6

Prep time 40 minutes (plus chilling)

Cook 50 minutes (plus resting)

Ingredients
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) eye fillet
Olive oil, for frying
1 tablespoon dijon mustard or English mustard
400 g (14 oz) mixed mushrooms, such as button, Swiss brown and chestnut
40 g (1½ oz) butter, chopped
2 golden shallots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) brandy or Cognac
Splash of pure (pouring) cream
10 very thin slices of prosciutto
70 g (2½ oz) pate
375 g (13 oz) butter puff pastry
2 egg yolks, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Sea salt

Serving suggestion: roasted baby carrots and buttered green beans

1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat until smoking. Season the
beef generously, add to the pan and sear, turning occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until browned well
all over. Transfer to a plate and pat dry with paper towel. Refrigerate and brush with the mustard.

2. Meanwhile, pulse the mushrooms in batches in a food processor until finely chopped, but still
with a little texture.

Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the mushroom,
season with salt and pepper and saute for 2–3 minutes until the mushrooms start to give off their
moisture. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the
mushrooms begin to brown. Add the shallot, thyme and garlic, saute for 2–3 minutes until softened,
then deglaze the pan with brandy, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the
cream and simmer until the mixture dries out. Check the seasoning, transfer to a bowl and chill in
the refrigerator.

3. Lay out a piece of baking paper on a work surface. Overlap the prosciutto in a rectangle on top,
arranging it so it is the length of your beef fillet and wide enough to completely enclose the meat.
Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the prosciutto.

4. Spread the pate evenly over the beef. Lay the beef on the closest edge of the prosciutto and roll it
into a cylinder, using the baking paper to help roll and enclose the beef (discard the baking paper).
Wrap the beef cylinder tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Remove
the plastic wrap before using.
5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 inch) rectangle. Lay the
prosciutto-wrapped beef on one long side and brush the pastry edges with egg wash. Roll the beef
and pastry into a snug cylinder and place seam-side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Pinch the pastry ends together to seal and trim off any excess.

Brush thickly with egg wash, score in a decorative pattern with a small sharp knife, and chill in the
freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 210°C (415°F). Season the beef parcel with sea salt and bake for 20–25
minutes for rare, 25–30 minutes for medium-rare—internal temperature reads 48°C (116°F) for rare
or 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare—and the pastry is golden brown. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Thickly slice to serve.

N OT E S
➙ Many methods for beef Wellington involve wrapping the meat in a thin crepe or blanched
cabbage leaves, to keep the moisture contained and prevent the puff pastry from going soggy. A
sheet of fi lo pastry is a simple option.

➙ This recipe is an exception to the rule of letting the meat come to room temperature before
cooking, because you want the beef rare while the pastry is well cooked.

Meat: The Ultimate Companion by Anthony Puharich and Libby Travers (Murdoch Books, £30).
Photography by Alan Benson.