Beef Wellington
A showpiece of the English Sunday: a rosy fillet of beef, a whisper of mustard, a duxelles of mushrooms and a burnished cloak of buttery pastry. It is the sort of dish that quiets a room when it comes to the table.
Ingredients
1 kg beef fillet, centre cut, trimmed
2 tbsp English mustard
500 g chestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
8 slices prosciutto
500 g all-butter puff pastry
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tbsp flaky sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- 1
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear in a screaming-hot pan with the oil for 45 seconds on each side until deeply browned. Rest, brush all over with mustard, and chill.
- 2
Fry the mushrooms with garlic and thyme in a dry pan over a medium heat until every drop of moisture has cooked out — this takes 15–20 minutes and is not to be rushed. Cool completely.
- 3
Lay overlapping prosciutto slices on cling film to form a rectangle, spread the mushroom duxelles across, place the beef on top, then roll tightly into a firm log. Chill for 30 minutes.
- 4
Roll the puff pastry to a large rectangle. Unwrap the beef onto the pastry, brush the edges with egg yolk, then fold and seal into a neat parcel. Score lightly and brush all over with more yolk.
- 5
Bake at 220°C (fan 200°C) for 25 minutes for medium-rare, or until a probe inserted into the centre reads 52°C. Rest for 10 minutes before carving into thick slices.
Cook's notes
For a cleaner slice, roll the beef in cling film and rest it in the freezer for 20 minutes before wrapping in pastry — it firms up beautifully and holds a perfect cylinder in the oven.