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The best beef Wellington

The best beef Wellington

A Wellington is perhaps the most luxurious meat dish if you want to impress at Christmas. Prime beef fillet is clothed in rich mushroom duxelles, sealed in cured ham, then wrapped in buttery puff pastry. Martha Collison has gone all out for this one – two types of mushrooms, sweet chestnuts and Madeira, sautéed down into an unctuous duxelles, horseradish-coated caramelised beef, salty prosciutto and an egg-yolk glaze.

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  • Serves4 generously
  • CourseMain meal
  • Prepare1 hr
  • Cook40 mins
  • Total time1 hr 40 mins
  • PlusPreparation time 1 hour plus chilling

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Ingredients

  • 750g piece beef fillet, the same thickness all the way along (see tips)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 150g pack shiitake mushrooms
  • 250g pack chestnut mushrooms
  • 60g butter
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 80g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
  • ⅓ x 20g pack tarragon, leaves roughly chopped
  • ¼ x 20g pack thyme, leaves only
  • 2 clove/s garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp Madeira
  • 1 sheet filo pastry
  • 72g pack (6 slices) parma ham
  • 1 tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
  • 320g pack all-butter puff pastry sheet
  • 1 British Blacktail Free Range Large Egg yolk, beaten
  • Sea salt flakes, to sprinkle

Method

  1. Warm a large frying pan over a high heat. Rub the beef with oil, season lightly with salt, then sear on all sides until well browned all over. Allow the meat to sear unmoved on each side to form a dark, caramelised crust for maximum flavour – this should take 1-2 minutes each side. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

  2. Using a food processor (or chopping board and sharp knife), blitz the mushrooms until finely chopped. Melt the butter in the pan used to sear the beef, then add the shallots and sauté over a low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and increase the heat to medium. Fry for 8-10 minutes, until dry, beginning to brown and all their moisture is released.

  3. Blitz or chop the chestnuts to a fine texture, then stir into the mushrooms with the herbs and garlic. Add the Madeira and cook for 2 minutes more, scraping the base of the pan to release the flavour. Transfer into a bowl, cool completely, then cover and chill until needed.

  4. Lay the filo pastry sheet on a large chopping board and arrange the ham slices across the centre in a slightly overlapping single layer. Spread the mushroom mixture or duxelles over the top of the ham into an even layer. Brush the cooled beef fillet all over with horseradish, then place along the short edge of the filo on top of the mushrooms. Wrap tightly, folding the mushroom, ham and filo together around the beef fillet to fully encase it. Don’t worry if the filo sheet splits slightly.

  5. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and, using a rolling pin, flatten the pastry (if needed) to create a rectangle large enough to wrap the filling. Place the filo-wrapped beef against the short side of the puff pastry, then brush the exposed pastry with beaten egg yolk. Roll the fillet tightly in the pastry, pinching at the seam to seal. With the seam underneath the roll, fold in the edges as if you were wrapping a gift, using more egg yolk to seal if needed. Transfer to a baking tray and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).

  6. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Brush the top of the Wellington with egg yolk, then score a pattern into the top with a sharp knife (don’t cut all the way through). Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, then bake for 35-40 minutes for rare to medium rare, until deep golden (see tip). Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then use a serrated knife to serve.

Cook’s tip

MARTHA'S TIPS

Cooking temperature

A meat thermometer is a must for this recipe, as the meat is too special to take the risk of under or overcooking it. If you have one, use it to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of your Wellington: I usually aim for a temperature of 43ºC for rare or 49ºC for medium rare. Start checking after 30 minutes to ensure a perfectly cooked centre. Be sure not to let it exceed 49ºC for a pink middle.

Stopping leaks

Many Wellington recipes will direct you to make crepes to form a moisture barrier between the beef and the pastry, but realistically, many of us won’t faff around with that! I found a great solution for which I credit American chef J Kenji López-Alt – a simple sheet of filo pastry between the prosciutto and the puff. It traps all the meat juices and means you don’t need clingfilm to wrap the beef tightly. Double win!

Cut of beef

Beef fillet is a non-negotiable for this, as it’s the leanest part of the animal, and therefore can be prepared as a Wellington and remain melt-in-the-mouth and tender. The meat needs to be the same thickness all the way along for even cooking, so avoid the thinner tail end of the fillet if possible. Other cuts yield a chewy result, as there won’t be enough direct heat applied to break down the fat and sinew.

Nutritional

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe

Energy

3,412kJ/ 817kcals

Fat

45g

Saturated Fat

21g

Carbohydrates

48g

Sugars

5.1g

Fibre

8.9g

Protein

49g

Salt

1.7g

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