~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Friday, April 3, 2009

Beef Wellington ( G. Ramsay version)


Beef Wellington.... Inspired by Gordon Ramsay, who makes it look so easy in this video.
I wanted to do something special today for my husband. I've been meaning to make this particular recipe for a while now. Well, I finally bought the fillet mignon, as they had a great deal at Costco. So, here was my chance to bake a dish that I had never made before. I bought what is more like the tail end of the fillet, as they didn't have a center cut(which is often more expensive).

In any case, I had to do some trimming and ended up with 2 pieces.... and made 2 Beef Wellingtons. I baked one the same day and the other the next day. Both came out great. So, I am glad that you can prepare it ahead and bake it later if you like. It actually helps with the puff pastry as well, as it needs to chill before baking.

I basically tried to follow the recipe, but ended up making a few adjustments. Used baby Bella mushrooms instead of the big portabella, and used a mixture of yellow and Dijon mustard, as I didn't have any English mustard around. And because I make my own puff pastry, I ended up using my homemade puff pastry for this recipe as well. But I didn't have any big pieces of puff pastry, just small 6x6 inch squares. So because I didn't feel like making a new batch of puff pastry, I  decided to piece a few squares together with an egg wash. I  rolled the pieces together a bit, so the pieces would adhere and become one cohesive piece. It actually worked...and I was happy! Ramsay also uses egg yolks to seal the puff pastry... but I didn't want to waste the egg white and just used the whole egg. Other than that, the recipe is really straightforward.

I have to admit that it was easier to make than I had originally thought... was really surprised how quickly it came together. I have to tell you, it was really a wonderful dish, both my husband and I loved every bite of it! I am sure we will be making it again in the future. Hope you enjoy...

Note: It is worth watching this video a couple of times before staring out... Beef Wellington video clip.
There's an updated video clip... where Gordon Ramsay adds a couple of different twists to the original recipe... Video 

TIP:
1.When sauteing mushrooms, make sure they are completely dry. It should clump up on you and sort of form a paste. If you don't extract all the water from the mushrooms, you will have a soggy puff pastry.
2. I baked mine at 425 , 10 minutes on the middle rack and an additional 30 minutes on the lower rack so that the puff pastry would not burn on top. I later found his recipe online and it listed 200 C (392 F) for the oven temp. I liked the way mine came out, so I will stick to that temp...Next time, I will try it at 400 deg. It might help with the puff pastry not browning too quickly. Do remember that it is best to cover the wellington loosely with some aluminum foil when the puff pastry gets golden(maybe half way(or so) through the cooking time). This ensures that the puff pastry doesn't burn and your beef gets cooked to your liking.
3. If you don't care for beef, try it with salmon.

You will need: these amounts are for my 2 pieces and they are approximate....so adjust amounts below, if need be.

2-3 lb beef tenderloin(filet mignon), trimmed
12-16 oz baby bella mushrooms*
1-2 sheets of puff pastry, rolled out thin
2-3 TBS mustard, or as needed
8-10 slices of prosciutto, or as needed
1 egg, for sealing the puff pastry/glazing the top
salt/pepper, I used kosher salt and coarse grind pepper
3-4 TBS oil, to sear the beef
*I seasoned my mushrooms with a bit of salt,pepper,and onion powder.

Directions:
1. Trim fillet, if needed of all the fat and sinews.
2. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat some oil in a large pan and quickly fry the seasoned beef all over until it's brown.
4. You don't want to cook the beef, just sear so you get that great flavor from the browning. Remove and allow to cool. Mine looks a bit more seared...fiddling with the camera too much:)
5. Brush generously with the mustard.
6. Roughly chop the mushrooms and blend in a food processor to form a puree.
7. Heat a skillet until hot. Add the puree of mushrooms and cook without any oil/butter until it is dry and all the water has evaporated. You can season the mushrooms with some salt/pepper/onion powder if you like. The mixture should be sticking together in the form of a paste. Set aside and cool.
8. Roll out a generous length of cling film, lay out the slices of Prosciutto ham( enough to fully encase the beef), each one slightly overlapping the last. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the ham.

9. Place the beef fillet in the middle.
10. Roll the prosciutto and mushrooms over the beef into a tight log shape. Twist the ends to secure the clingfilm.
11. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes, or till chilled( you could do this the day before or hours before)... this allows the Wellington to set and helps keep the tight shape.
12. Roll out the pastry quite thinly to a size which will cover your beef. Unwrap the meat from the cling film. Egg wash the edge of the pastry and place the beef in the middle.
13. Roll up the pastry, cut any excess pastry off the ends and fold neatly to the 'underside'. Turnover and egg wash over the top.
14. Chill again to let the pastry cool, approximately 5 minutes. I let mine chill for about 20 minutes while I cleaned up. You will also want to preheat your oven to 425 F.
15. Egg wash again before baking. I placed my beef loaf unto a parchment lined baking sheet. This helps with the clean-up.
16. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes on middle rack. I then moved the sheet pan to the lower middle rack, for an additional 20-30 minutes. The total baking time should be about 35 - 45 minutes, depending on the size. Mine took about 40-45 minutes for the larger piece and 3o minutes for the smaller piece.
17. Rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with potatoes and salad.
~ If , you like your beef more well done, you can cook it longer. Just make sure you cover the puff pastry lightly with a foil so that it won't burn on you. Use an instant thermometer, if need be.

11 comments:

Katiecakes said...

Phwore! That looks fantastic!!

Katie xox

test it comm said...

I like the sound of medium rare beef wrapped in golden brown flaky pastry!

Diana said...

Oh wow! Whenever I see them make this I start craving it, just imagining how good it must taste. Was it incredibly expensive?

Ellie said...

Diana, I found a great deal at Costco... They also had smaller portions, not the whole loin, so I immediately grabbed it. Not very expensive at all. It WAS delicious and glad I made it. Hope you will try it when you find a great deal:).

Unknown said...

Made it today, it was incredible. The recipe was easy to follow. It turned out perfect, absolutely delicious!

Ellie said...

Marlin, Thanks for taking the time to comment...and for the feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed it. We really like it...and we've made a few times:)~Ellie

Sarah said...

Hey Ellie,

I really want to try this recipe, problem is we don't eat pork at all (for religious reasons), do you think you can help me by suggesting a substitute? Or could I just omit it?

Thanks!

Sarah

Ellie said...

Sarah,
Thanks for stopping by...Yes, you can definitely omit the prosciutto. It will be just as good without it:)! But I hope you enjoy it!~Ellie

Ellie said...

Hi Barbara, Thanks for stopping by...the temperature does depend on how you want your meat to be cooked. It is best to use a thermometer. I found for my own oven 40 minutes will give me a medium beef wellington~or close to 160 degs. Do let the beef rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Also, the serving amount for 2 1/2 lbs beeef would be for about 6 people(depending how thick you slice the wellington)...that is not including the end pieces. But this all depends on how much one eats:) Hope that helps.~Ellie

Tara said...

Hi, I am a nervous wreck thinking about making this on Sunday for my son's 30th birthday. I would like to make the day before..so just confirming you do all the steps except the puffed pastry.. The other thing I am confused about is size.. I am having 8 people but 3 are very light eaters... I planned on a 2 lb tenderloin but would it be better to cut in half.. Getting the meat at Costco.

Thanks for help
Tara

Ellie said...

Tara, Oh, don't be nervous. If you make the Wellington in stages, it won't be so overwhelming. It's also good to watch the video clip a few times just to have a good base. And yes, you do all all the steps of searing and wrapping of the Wellington the day before and then you will only need to take it out of the fridge and wrap it in the puff pastry and put on the egg wash. You can cut the beef in 2 pieces if you like, but one piece would just fine. Just use a thermometer to get the right temp and let it rest before cutting.
I sure hope you have success and a wonderful birthday dinner.