Beef Wellington is a sophisticated dish of British cuisine made from prime beef tenderloin wrapped in mushroom paste (duxelles), bacon or prosciutto, and puff pastry. Technically, it is a meat pie baked to a golden crust.
The history of the dish is quite convoluted, and there is no unanimous version regarding its origin. Some culinary researchers claim that its name comes from Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, who was a British military commander during the Napoleonic Wars. Others believe that the dish has French origins and was adapted by English chefs, receiving its name in honor of the city of Wellington in New Zealand. Another researcher suggested that this dish has no connection to the Duke of Wellington and was invented in the early 20th century for a city reception in Wellington, New Zealand (hence the name), but it is a wonderful addition to any celebration.
We fully agreed with the latter statement, went to the market, chose a piece of beef tenderloin, bought the remaining ingredients, and without further ado decided to cook Beef Wellington, and also invite friends over for dinner to treat them to a fragrant, rich dish with a variety of flavors.
Time required: up to 1.5 hours
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
Servings: 4
Cost of ingredients: above average
We will need
1 kg beef tenderloin (center cut)
salt
black ground pepper
зірка страви
For the mushroom duxelles:
400 g champignons
150 g truffle paste
several sprigs of parsley
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
30 g butter
набір для дюкселю
For wrapping the meat:
150-200 g bacon
2 tbsp mustard
500 g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg yolk
a handful of sesame seeds for sprinkling
Step 1: preparing the meat
We clean the tenderloin from membranes. Usually, there are minimal amounts, so this is quite an easy step. We rub the meat on all sides with salt and black ground pepper (don't be stingy, as beef really loves it), and leave it to marinate in the refrigerator for half an hour.
підготовка м'яса
вирізка, натерта сіллю та перцем
Step 2: preparing the mushroom duxelles
Duxelles is a finely chopped mixture of mushrooms and other components, sautéed over low heat and evaporated of excess moisture to a paste-like consistency. This is what we will do while the meat is marinating.
We finely chop the champignons, onion, garlic, and parsley.
нарізка інгредієнтів для дюкселя
We heat a pan, melt the butter, and add all the ingredients except the ready truffle paste. We sauté over medium heat, and while the temperature is not too high, we use an immersion blender right in the pan to further chop all the components.
починаємо смаження
початок подрібнення
подрібнили блендером масу
We reduce the heat and add the truffle paste. Essentially, any mushrooms can be added, even porcini, but we had truffle paste in the refrigerator. Essentially, its composition is the same champignons and 10% black truffles (which is a lot for paste, as truffles have a very pronounced taste and aroma). But even this amount was enough for the duxelles to acquire a distinct truffle aroma and flavor note.
We purchased the truffle paste from the online store Lontana. We recommend visiting it, as you can find quite exotic products that will significantly expand the list of dishes you can prepare at home. There are also many sweet items. Come in and shop ;)
вводимо трюфельну пасту
The truffle paste has the same texture as the mass in the pan, so we add it to evaporate at this moment. We add a small amount of salt.
випарюємо вологу
We periodically stir the mass and wait for the excess moisture to evaporate. When it becomes paste-like, we turn off the heat and set it aside to cool.
дюксель готовий
Step 3: searing the tenderloin
On high heat, we heat the pan and add oil suitable for frying (with a high smoke point). Extra virgin olive oil is categorically unsuitable for this stage!
We sear the meat on all four sides. The conditional “top” and “bottom” are seared for 2 minutes each, and the “sides” for 1 minute each. In total, we spend no more than 7 minutes searing the entire piece. If we sear it longer, there is a risk of turning the meat into “shoe leather,” making it tough.
обсмажуємо з усіх сторін
можна засікати час секундоміром
We set the meat aside to cool for a few minutes. After that, we evenly brush it with mustard on all sides.
просмажена вирізка
Step 4: forming the filling
We lay out plastic wrap on the work surface. We arrange the bacon slices so that they overlap each other, and the area of this layer allows us to completely wrap the tenderloin.
викладаємо шар бекону
On the layer of bacon, we spread the duxelles as evenly as possible, in a thin layer.
на дюксель викладаємо вирізку
After that, we place the meat, brushed with mustard, and tightly roll it into a firm roll. To make the filling more stable and to allow the flavors and aromas to blend together, we place the filling wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
рулет готовий до відпочинку в холодильнику
Step 5: wrapping the filling in pastry
We lightly dust the work surface with flour and lay out the puff pastry on it. We roll it out to a thickness of no more than 0.5 cm and in such a way that we can tightly wrap the filling.
розкатуємо тісто
We take the meat out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, carefully place it in the center of the dough, and tightly wrap it, avoiding the formation of air pockets, and carefully pinch the ends. We can cut off any excess dough with a knife.
загортаємо м'ясо у тісто
Now we will need a chicken egg. We separate the yolk from the white and beat it with a fork. Using a silicone brush, we spread the yolk over the top of the dough and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
змащуємо тісто яєчним жовтком
...та посипаємо кунжутом
Step 6: baking
We preheat the oven to 190 degrees, using the upper and lower heating elements, as well as the convection mode. We place the formed beef on a baking sheet lined with silicone parchment and leave it to bake for 35 minutes.
біф Веллінгтон в духовій шафі
We take it out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, cut it into serving pieces, and enjoy ;)
нерозрізаний Біф Веллінгтон
вигляд в розрізі
Beef Wellington is usually served with a vegetable garnish or baked potatoes. We prepared cream-braised carrots with peas, as well as young boiled potatoes. And such a dinner pairs very well with a glass of dry red wine.
фото друзів)
Bon appétit! ;)
