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beef wellington
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Beef Wellington

Here's how to make the ultimate beef wellington! There's a perfectly cooked fillet, duxelles, bresaola & crêpes, all wrapped in flaky pastry.
Prep Time2 days
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time2 days 45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: British
Servings: 6 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Lattice Cutter
  • Digital Food Probe
  • Large Baking Tray
  • Large Pan
  • Microplane/Grater
  • 10" Frying Pan
  • Wire Cooling Rack
  • Palette Knife
  • Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Beef

  • 1 kg Centre Cut Beef Fillet (See Notes)
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tsp English Mustard

Mushroom Duxelles

  • 3 Shallots Peeled
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Peeled
  • 1 kg Mushrooms (See Notes)
  • 20 g Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 100 ml Sherry
  • 1 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme Leaves

Crêpes

  • 15 g Unsalted Butter
  • 65 g Plain Flour
  • 140 g Whole Milk
  • 1 Large Egg

To Assemble

  • 100 g Bresaola (Roughly 12 Large Slices)
  • 900 g Rough Puff Pastry (See Notes)
  • Thyme Leaves

Egg Wash

  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 3 tsp Cold Water
  • A Pinch Of Table Salt

Instructions

Prepping The Beef

  • First, use a sharp knife to trim off any sinew from the outside of the beef fillet.
  • Next, lay a double layer of clingfilm down on your workbench then place the beef on top. Tightly roll up the beef in the clingfilm, then tie off each end. Chill in the fridge overnight.
    The clingfilm should be slightly longer than the beef, so that we can tie off each end.
  • The next day, set a large pan over a high heat, add in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil then leave to get smoking hot.
  • In the meantime, unwrap the beef, pat dry with kitchen paper then season the outside generously with table salt.
  • Once the oil is hot, add in the beef then sear well on all sides, making sure to flip the beef every 5-10 seconds.
    We're not cooking the beef at this point, only searing the outside. Make sure to get the oil smoking hot, for the best sear. Once the beef is seared, set the pan to one side, we'll be using this to cook the duxelles in.
  • Transfer the beef to a wire cooling rack, set over a tray then brush all over with the English mustard. Season with freshly cracked black pepper, leave to cool then wrap in another double layer of clingfilm & chill in the fridge.

Mushroom Duxelles

  • Finely dice the shallots & grate the garlic then place into a bowl & set aside.
  • Next, chop up the mushrooms by hand, as fine as possible, placing them into another bowl as you chop them.
    You could also use a food processor to chop up the mushrooms, in batches. But for the best texture, it's worth taking the time to do them by hand.
  • Set the pan that you seared the beef in over a low heat then add in the butter. Leave to melt then add in the shallots & garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until soft then transfer to a bowl.
  • Increase the heat up to high, add in the tbsp of veg oil then leave for a minute or two, to get hot.
  • Add the mushrooms to the pan, along with a good pinch of salt then cook, stirring regularly until all of the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated. This will take around 10 minutes.
  • Deglaze the pan with the sherry, letting it reduce completely then stir in the cooked shallots & the chopped thyme leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper then transfer to dish lined with kitchen paper & leave to cool completely.

Crêpes

  • Melt the butter (in a microwave or a pan) then add into a mixing bowl along with the flour, milk & egg. Season with a pinch of a salt then whisk to combine. Pass the batter into another bowl, through a sieve.
  • Place a 10" frying pan/skillet over a medium heat then once hot, grease with a small amount of butter or oil.
  • Add a small ladle full (roughly 4 tbsp/60 ml) of batter into the pan then tilt so that the batter completely covers the bottom, in a thin, even layer.
  • Cook the crêpe for 30-40 seconds, until the bottom is lightly browned & the top looks dry then flip over with a spatula & cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate then repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter. Once all of the batter is cooked, let the crêpes cool completely.
    We need to make 4 large crêpes but they're should be enough batter to make a couple extra.

Assembling The Filling

  • Lay a double layer of clingfilm down on your work surface & smooth out with a tea towel. Make sure to give yourself enough room to tie off each end. I'd recommend 3 sheets of clingfilm wide.
  • Next, place 4 crêpes in the middle of the clingfilm, arranging them 2x2 & overlapping them slightly (there shouldn't be any gaps!).
  • Top the crêpes with a single layer of bresaola slices, overlapping these slightly as well. The meat should almost completely cover the crêpes. You may need to cut a few slices of bresaola in half so that they fit.
  • Spoon the duxelles on top of the bresaola then use a palette knife to spread them into an even layer that completely covers the meat.
  • Unwrap the beef then place horizontally, near the top edge of the duxelles (the side furthest away from you).
  • Using the clingfilm, carefully roll the crêpes/mushrooms around the beef. Make sure to tuck the edges of the crêpes underneath, to seal before rolling into a tight sausage & tying off each end. Chill this in the fridge overnight.

Assembling The Wellington

  • Take a third (300 grams) of the pastry & roll out on a lightly floured surface, into a 5mm thick rectangle then place onto a tray & chill in the fridge. We'll be using this pastry for the lattice, so it should be slightly longer than the wellington & around 15 cm wide.
  • Make the egg wash by whisking together the yolks, water & salt then set aside.
  • Next, roll the remaining pastry out into a 40cm x 50cm rectangle, that is also 5mm thick.
  • Trim the edges, to neaten up if necessary, dust off any flour then brush the entire top of the pastry with a light layer of egg wash.
  • Carefully remove the clingfilm from the filling then place horizontally in the middle of the pastry, near the top edge.
  • Starting with the edge furthest away from you, tightly wrap the pastry around the filling. If necessary, trim some of the excess pastry from the bottom edge then roll the wellington over, to seal. The pastry should only overlap by a couple of centimetres.
  • Gently flatten the excess pastry from each end with your hands then trim most of it off, leaving a few centimetres. Tuck the pastry underneath each end then place the wellington seam side down, on a lined baking tray. Brush the wellington all over with a light layer of egg wash.
  • Next, take the chilled piece of pastry out of the fridge & place onto your work surface. Run a lattice roller down the length of the pastry (down the middle) then use a sharp knife to open up any of the cuts that weren't made properly.
  • Carefully stretch out the lattice with your hands then confidently lay over the top of wellington. Gently stretch the lattice so that it completely covers the wellington then tuck the edges underneath, trimming any excess pastry off if necessary.
  • Brush the wellington all over, with another light layer of egg wash then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat an oven to 210°c/190°c fan (410°f/374°f).

Cooking

  • Brush the wellington all over with a final (light) layer of egg wash, place a fresh thyme leaf inside each of the gaps made by the lattice then sprinkle with sea salt.
  • Bake the wellington until the centre of the beef reaches an internal temperature of 42°c-46°c (110°f-115°f). This will take around 40-50 minutes but check after 30.
    This is for medium rare beef, so feel free to cook it more if you'd prefer. I'd recommend turning the tray after 30 minutes, so that the pastry browns evenly.
  • Once cooked, let the wellington rest for 30 minutes then transfer to a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to cut into thick slices then serve, seasoning each slice with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes

1. Cooking In An Aga -To sear the beef, use the boiling plate. Cook the shallots (for the duxelles) on the simmering plate then move to the boiling plate to cook the mushrooms. Cook the crêpes using the boiling plate as well. Bake the wellington in the roasting oven, on a grid shelf placed on the floor. If the pastry needs more colour towards the end of the cook, move the tray up to the bottom set of runners.
2. Beef - Ask your butcher for a 1kg centre cut beef fillet. This cut has a more uniform shape & will cook more evenly. If there's any sinew on the outside, trim this off with a sharp knife.
3. Pastry - For the best results, I'd recommend making your own pastry. You'll need a batch & a half of our seriously flaky rough puff pastry. Alternatively, shop bought puff pastry can be used. You'll need 600 grams for the wellington & 300 grams for the lattice.
4. Mushrooms - Using a mix of mushrooms is best for the duxelles. I used portobello, chesnut & cup mushrooms. Make sure to chop them as finely as possible, for the best texture.
5. Bresaola - This is a type of cured beef & is available to buy in some supermarkets or online. Alternatively, prosciutto can be used instead.
6. Lattice - You'll need a lattice roller to cut the pastry into a lattice. If you haven't got one, you can skip the lattice & lightly score the top of the wellington with the back of a knife instead.
7. Internal Temperature - Traditionally, beef wellington is served medium rare, which means we need to cook the beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 42°c-46°c (110°f-115°f) in the middle. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests. Feel free to cook it more/less, if you'd prefer.
8. Resting - For the best results, make sure to rest the wellington for at least 30 minutes before slicing it. 
9. Leftovers - Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge. You can eat this cold or reheat in the oven with a splash of gravy.