I always have a hard time deciding what to make for a holiday meal. For weeks, I think about how I can top the year before, what should stay, what should go, and what I can make that will impress my guests. At Thanksgiving, most of my time is spent choosing the sides, while at Christmas I have a harder time deciding on the main course. Last Christmas, I tried my hand at Beef Wellington. My dad enjoyed it so much, he asked for it again this year!
This Beef Wellington is a delicious showstopper and perfect for any occasion. You can get creative with the design you make on the pastry, change up the sauce, and serve it with your favorite sides. After all, Valentine’s Day is just a few weeks away, and nothing says love like a homemade meal.
Beef Wellington
1.5 pounds white button mushrooms
2 shallots
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs thyme
2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon truffle salt
Pepper, to taste
3 pound beef tenderloin, cleaned
12 slices prosciutto
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 pound puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs or 4 Tablespoons heavy cream, for wash
To make the duxelles (mushroom filling):
1. Finely chop the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and 2 sprigs of thyme in your food processor.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and butter, and add mushroom/shallot/garlic mixture.
3. Saute for 10 minutes, or until the liquid in the pan is evaporated. Season to taste with truffle salt and pepper (you can find Truffle Salt in our stores)
4. Set aside to cool.
To make the Wellington:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear in a hot saute pan on all sides. Set aside.
3. Lay plastic wrap in a 24in x 12in rectangle on a flat work surface.
4. Shingle the prosciutto, with slight overlap in 2 rows, at the bottom of the plastic wrap (think sushi rolling, if you’ve done that!)
5. Spread duxelle completely over prosciutto rectangle.
6. Brush mustard onto the tenderloin on all sides.
7. Place tenderloin on top of duxelle and prosciutto, and roll away from you, using plastic wrap to encase the tenderloin completely. set in refrigerator to chill.
8. Meanwhile, roll puff pastry into a rectangle (roughly 16in x 12in). The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
9. Beat 2 eggs with 1 teaspoon water to create egg wash. Paint egg wash on top (further from you) edge of long side of pastry.
10. Unwrap tenderloin from plastic, place on bottom of pastry, and again roll away from you, using egg washed edge to seal.
11. Trim edges and use for decoration as desired. Brush top of pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with Maldon salt.
12. Place seal side down on parchment lined baking sheet.
13. Bake at 425 until pastry is golden brown and beef registers at 115. Rest for 15 minutes for medium rare.
14. Slice into 1 inch thick slices, and serve with your favorite sides (I like truffle mashed potatoes and creamed leeks!)
While there are a few steps and some patience needed to execute Beef Wellington, I think you (and your guests) will agree that it’s well worth the effort. My dad is still reminiscing about our meal weeks later!
If you’re not up for the challenge of Beef Wellington yet and want a hand learning to make something new, or are looking for an incredible evening out spending quality time with someone you care about, check out our Valentine’s Day classes as they’re filling up quickly! We’ve got a Parisian menu, Italian menu, and California Wine Country menu that are sure to be an evening to remember.
