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.