Celebrating Heritage British Food & Cooking
When it comes to cooking beef wellington you can’t do better than to use Gordon Ramsey’s recipe. It is his signature dish after all.
I’ve tried this recipe many times and it tastes fabulous. My wellington’s don’t look as neat as Gordon’s but they are improving. The recipe is a bit of a challenge but well worth the effort.
This iconic dish is reputedly named after one of our English national military heroes, Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Whether this is because it was a favourite of his, or the pastry-wrapped beef reminds you of a leg wrapped in a Wellington boot, I’m unsure?
The boots were definitely named after him, following a request to his shoemaker to make a practical boot suitable for wearing with the newly fashionable tight trousers. The original pair of Wellington boots are on display in Walmer Castle in Kent.
Following his victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Duke moved into Apsley House in London’s Hyde Park with the appropriate address ‘No 1 London’.
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Beef Wellington
Make Gordon Ramsey's signature pastry-wrapped beef tenderloin
Ingredients
For the Mushroom Duxelles:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 portobello mushrooms finely diced (about 4 cups)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
For the Chive Crepes:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour lightly packed and leveled
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp fresh thyme flowers
- Pinch sea salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
For the Assembly of the Beef Wellington:
- 1 pound center cut beef tenderloin at room temperature
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 sheet sheet puff pastry 10oz sheet, thawed if frozen
- Gluten-free tip: you can buy gluten-free puff pastry online.
- 2 egg yolks
Optional: For the Red Wine Sauce
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 200 g Beef Trimmings ask your butcher
- 4 large shallots peeled and sliced
- 12 black peppercorns
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 sprig Thyme
- 1 splash Red wine vinegar
- 750 ml Red wine
- 750 ml Beef stock
Instructions
To Make the Mushroom Duxelles.
- Place a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and when hot, add mushrooms. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the thyme. Stirring frequently to be sure mushrooms don’t stick, cook until all moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To Make the Chive Crepes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, chives, thyme, and salt. Whisk until incorporated. Transfer to the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Apply a light coat of cooking spray to a 10-inch nonstick pan and place over low heat. Add 1/4-cup crepe batter and swirl the pan so that the batter spreads evenly along the bottom, forming a very thin pancake. Allow to cook for 25 to 30 seconds until set. Using an offset spatula to lift one side, flip crepe and cook on opposite side for just a few seconds, then transfer crepe to a plate. Move quickly: you don’t want any browning to occur. Continue cooking until batter is finished, making about 5 crepes. Place a parchment square between each crepe to keep them from sticking together.
- Season beef tenderloin liberally with salt and pepper on all sides. Use your hands to rub salt and pepper into meat while rolling and shaping beef into a cylinder. Place cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add grapeseed oil. Once the pan is hot, sear the beef, cooking one minute per side. Remove beef to a sheet tray and pour any juices from the pan over it. While hot, brush Dijon mustard all over, and then let it rest.
To Assemble the Beef Wellington.
- Moisten your cutting board with a damp towel. Layer three pieces of plastic wrap on the board. Take two to three pancakes (depending on the width of your beef tenderloin) and trim into squares the length of the meat, then line them up vertically on the plastic. Layer the prosciutto slices on top of the crepes, then spread the mushroom duxelles over the prosciutto. Season with salt and pepper. Pour resting juices from the beef over the mushrooms, then place beef at the bottom of the crepe. Using the plastic wrap to lift as you pull the crepe over the beef, roll the beef up completely, smoothing plastic and twisting the ends to form a tight package. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat convection oven to 425°F or non-convection to 450°F.
- Moisten cutting board again, then layer three more pieces of plastic wrap. Place puff pastry in center, then use a rolling pin or dowel to evenly roll it to 1/8-inch thick, trimming if necessary to fit your tenderloin. Unwrap beef and place on the pastry 1/3 of the way up. Lightly brush pastry with egg wash and season with salt and pepper. Lift the plastic wrap up and roll the pastry over the beef until the edges meet, then massage the pastry, smoothing it evenly across and sealing the seam.
- Twist the plastic, taking excess pastry with it, until pastry melts together, and cut off the ends. Unwrap the Wellington, discard the plastic and smooth the ends, then apply more egg wash. Use the back of a knife to gently score the top of your Beef Wellington and create a decorative pattern. Season with more salt, place on a parchment-lined tray, and insert thyme sprig. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
To Cook the Beef Wellington.
- Place in the center of the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Optional: Red Wine Sauce
- Heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the beef trimmings for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in the shallots with the peppercorns, bay and thyme and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn golden brown.
- Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a few minutes until almost dry. Now add the wine and boil until almost completely reduced. Add the stock and bring to the boil again. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, removing any scum from the surface of the sauce, until you have the desired consistency. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Check for seasoning and serve with the wellington slices.
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