Beef Wellington

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Clean the mushrooms (400g), then pulse all 400 g with the mushroom salt and pepper to make a rough paste. Put it in a pan over high heat and cook for about ten minutes, stirring and tossing often, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and the paste is dry.

   Cook moisture out of mushrooms · 10 minUses 400g mushrooms · Salt for mushroom paste, to taste · Black pepper for mushroom paste, to taste

2. 2

   Step 2: Spread all the cooked mushroom paste on a plate and leave to cool completely before wrapping the beef.

   Uses All the cooked mushroom paste

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat a frying pan with a little of the olive oil. Season the whole fillet with its separate salt and pepper. Sear it in the hot pan for about thirty seconds on each side to brown the outside; the centre remains uncooked at this stage.

   Uses Dash Olive Oil · One 750 g whole beef fillet · Salt for beef fillet, to taste · Black pepper for beef fillet, to taste

4. 4

   Step 4: Lift the whole seared fillet out of the pan, let it cool, then brush all over with the 1–2 tablespoons English mustard.

   Uses The seared fillet · 1–2 tbsp English mustard

5. 5

   Step 5: Spread food-safe cling film on the work surface. Lay all the Parma ham (6–8 slices) in slightly overlapping rows, spread all the cooled mushroom paste over it, and put the cooled mustard-coated fillet in the middle.

   Uses 6–8 slices Parma ham · All the cooled mushroom paste · The whole mustard-coated fillet

6. 6

   Step 6: Use the cling film to roll the ham and mushrooms tightly around the fillet. Twist the film ends securely to form a firm barrel shape.

   Uses The complete laid-out assembly

7. 7

   Step 7: Chill the wrapped fillet in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes so it firms up and holds its shape.

   Chill to set · 20 minUses The tightly wrapped fillet

8. 8

   Step 8: Dust the work surface with flour and roll all 500 g puff pastry into a rectangle about the thickness of a pound coin, large enough to enclose the fillet. Remove all the cling film from the chilled fillet and place it in the middle of the pastry.

   Uses 500g Puff Pastry · Dusting Flour · The chilled wrapped fillet

9. 9

   Step 9: Beat both egg yolks (2). Use some to brush the surrounding pastry, keeping the rest for the next two glazes. Fold the pastry ends in and wrap the pastry around the fillet; trim away excess pastry and seal the edges.

   Uses The fillet and rolled pastry · 2 egg yolks, beaten now

10. 10

    Step 10: Turn the enclosed fillet seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the outside with some more of the held beaten yolks, keeping enough for the final glaze. Refrigerate the unbaked Wellington for about fifteen minutes.

    Pastry rest · 15 minUses The unbaked Wellington · Some of the remaining beaten yolks

11. 11

    Step 11: Heat the oven to 200°C. Lightly score the chilled pastry at 1 cm intervals without cutting through it, and brush with the remaining held yolks. Bake the Wellington at 200°C for twenty minutes.

    First bake at 200°C · 20 minUses The whole chilled Wellington · The remaining beaten yolks

12. 12

    Step 12: Lower the oven to 180°C and bake the same Wellington for a further fifteen minutes, until the pastry is golden and baked through. The beef remains pink in the centre.

    Finish bake at 180°C · 15 minUses The partially baked Wellington

13. 13

    Step 13: Rest the cooked Wellington for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve the pink-centred beef and golden pastry with accompaniments of your choice, prepared separately.

    Rest before slicing · 15 minUses The complete baked Wellington