Beef Wellington: the star dish of your Christmas celebrations
Do you want to surprise your guests this Christmas? We will show you how to prepare a homemade beef Wellington with outstanding flavour and visual appeal.
Are you already planning your Christmas Eve menu? If so, take note, because this dish really should have a place on your table this year. Beef Wellington is one of the classic dishes of British cuisine and, although the name refers to a well-known figure from British history, its origin is not entirely clear.
While some suggest that Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, named it after himself to celebrate his victories in the war, others claim that it is a tribute to his eponymous boots. However, the presence of foie gras, a traditionally French product, seems to many to indicate that the dish is actually a copy of boeuf en croûte.
Whatever its provenance, we are delighted that this recipe, which fascinates chefs around the world, has survived many different eras and culinary fashions, and that we can enjoy its wonderful taste today. Although it may initially seem complex to make, it is not a difficult dish to execute. With these seven simple steps you will be able to prepare a delicious homemade beef Wellington to your liking.
Ingredients
1 kg fillet steak
2 shallots
400 g mushrooms
60 g foie gras
90 g dry-cured Serrano ham
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Puff pastry
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Salt
Instructions
- First, remove all the fat from a tenderloin. In this recipe we will use a single large tenderloin, but you can purchase individual portions if you prefer. Season with salt and pepper, sear the meat in a frying pan and set aside. The quality of the beef is key, as this will be the star ingredient in this dish. We recommend preparing beef Wellington the same day it is to be eaten, although the covering can be prepared beforehand.
- Next, we will start preparing the duxelle, a typical French mince. Clean the mushrooms, making sure there are no traces of dirt and chop them finely. Do the same with the shallots. Stir-fry both in the pan in which the meat was previously seared, over low heat, to make the most of the juices that have been released. Add the pâté and mix well before turning off the heat. If you wish, you can add a dash of brandy or Worcestershire sauce and a bit of cream at this stage, to add extra flavour and juiciness. Set aside the duxelle as it is or purée it with a stick blender.
- The next step is to spread mustard over the entire surface of the tenderloin using a kitchen brush. We recommend using Dijon mustard, because of its intense and characteristic flavour.
Once we have covered the meat well, we will lay out the slices of Serrano ham on a sheet of cling film, making sure that we are covering a surface wide enough to wrap the tenderloin, and then we will spread the duxelle that we have previously prepared all over the ham slices. If you have chosen to purée the duxelle, this step will be easier. Place the tenderloin in the centre and wrap it well. Once the covering is well attached, remove the cling film.
- Place the tenderloin in the centre of the puff pastry and wrap it well, making sure there are no gaps. You can set aside part of the puff pastry to make a decorative braid by cutting the remaining dough into thin strips, which you will place forming a crisscross pattern. Brush the puff pastry with beaten egg yolks to ensure it turns a golden brown in the oven.
- If you enjoy your beef rare, bake the tenderloin for 20 minutes at 180 ºC; if you prefer it medium rare, leave it in for a further 5-10 minutes at 190 ºC. Be careful not to overcook the puff pastry!
- Finally, we recommend that it rests for 30 minutes before serving. And voilà, enjoy!
