United Kingdom Beef Wellington
The British version of filet de bœuf en croûte (filet of beef in pastry), beef Wellington is a classic centerpiece of a United Kingdom holiday meal. With its layers of minced mushrooms, pâté, crêpes, and puff pastry, this beef tenderloin is rich, indulgent, and flavorful even before the addition of a savory wine sauce. A true labor of love, beef Wellington is sure to impress on any table.
Recipe Servings: 8
Prep Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 10 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (25 g) shallots, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1½ cups (115 g) portobello mushrooms (four large caps with stems and gills removed), finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 6 cups (1.4 L) beef stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) Madeira
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, diced
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, diced
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed, side muscle removed
- 1 lb (453 g) puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- 2/3 cup (138 g) chicken liver paté
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp (5 ml) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Cook shallots in a skillet over low heat with butter and oil, stirring often, until translucent.
- Add mushrooms, turn heat to medium, and cook (stirring occasionally) for about 15 minutes, until mixture has cooked down thick and dark.
- Add a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, and chopped parsley.
- Scrape mix into a bowl and allow to cool. This part can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.
- Reduce beef stock by simmering in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until original 6 cups (1.4 L) has reduced to 2 cups (473 ml).
- Add wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Put sauce aside (it will be finished with butter when beef is served).
- Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
- Break eggs into well, add a splash of milk, and whisk eggs and milk gently into flour.
- Incorporate remaining milk gradually, until batter is smooth.
- Butter a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Pour about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of batter into the center of skillet, tilting pan gently to coat surface with batter.
- Cook crêpe for about one minute, until underside is lightly browned.
- Flip and cook reverse side for about 30 seconds.
- Stack finished crêpes on a plate to cool.
- Grease pan with butter between crêpes.
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a skillet and sear beef until brown on all sides.
- Mix paté and duxelles together in a bowl.
- Lay out crêpes, slightly overlapping, into a rough square about 13 x 13 inches (33 x 33 cm).
- Spread paté mixture over the crêpes evenly.
- Lay beef in the center of pan, pressing crêpes around tenderloin until it is wrapped.
- Trim off excess. Tip: For ease of wrapping, try laying out crêpes and puff pastry onto plastic wrap, then bring up plastic wrap to gently press layers around the meat. Remove plastic wrap before sealing the puff pastry seams.
- Roll puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface, fusing sheets if needed, to form a rectangle of 13 x 16 inches (33 x 41 cm).
- Lay wrapped beef on pastry and gently bring dough up to cover beef, sealing the seam with a brush of beaten egg. Seal end seams in the same way.
- Grease a baking sheet with butter.
- Lift wrapped beef into pan, settling it seam-side down.
- Chill for 15–60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C).
- Brush remaining beaten egg over puff pastry.
- Score pastry diagonally with a knife, but do not cut all the way through.
- Place the beef Wellington on oven’s center rack and reduce temperature to 425°F (220°C). After 10 minutes, reduce heat again to 400°F (200°C) and roast for 20–25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 135°F (57°C) for medium rare.
- Remove beef from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Finish Madeira sauce by heating to a low simmer and whisking in 2 tablespoons (30 g) of unsalted butter.
- Serve beef Wellington thickly sliced, drizzled with sauce.
For Duxelles:
For Madeira Sauce:
For Crêpes:
For Tenderloin:
For Assembly:
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