WELLINGTON BEEF

Ingredients

1kg beef fillet
2 spring onions
4 tbsp mustard
500g mushrooms
200g Serrano ham
100g duck foie gras
1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry
1 egg
Freshly ground salt and black pepper (to taste)
Cling film and greaseproof paper

Method

Preparing the fillet for the Wellington Beef

Start by trimming the fillet. Remove the string and any fat covering the meat.
It’s important to choose a piece of meat that fits the dimensions of the pastry sheet being used.
If it’s too long or too thick, you can always use an additional sheet to wrap it.
Heat a dash of olive oil or butter in a pan.
Brown the fillet on all sides to seal it as much as possible and prevent it from releasing most of its juices during baking. Once the meat is sealed, set aside.
Preparing the accompaniment to the Wellington Beef filling
In the same pan, with the same oil, fry the diced spring onions.
Cook for 6 or 7 minutes and add the chopped, clean mushrooms. Cook for a further 10 minutes, add salt and remove from the heat.
Transfer the spring onions and mushrooms, the duxelles, to the blender and blitz. Set aside.
Spread the foie gras all over the meat so that the fillet is completely covered. Set aside.
Spread cling film over a work surface.
Lay the Serrano ham over the cling film, ensuring that when you put the meat on top and roll it, the ham will cover its entire surface.
Spread the ham with the mustard using a pastry brush.
Spread the duxelles over the entire surface of the ham, on top of the mustard.
Ensure you leave one of the sides free to allow the mixture to spread as it is rolled over the fillet.
Place the foie gras covered beef fillet on top.
Using the cling film, roll the meat to cover it with the ham, mustard and duxelles.
Baking and final presentation of the Beef Wellington
Lay the puff pastry sheet over a piece of greaseproof paper and place the fillet roll on top. Wrap the fillet roll in the puff pastry, like a package. Place the seal at the bottom of the roll and turn it over.
Follow the step-by-step photos or video, which will make it much easier for you to follow the recipe to the letter.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Beat the egg and paint the puff pastry with a brush. This will help to seal the edges and give it a golden colour as it cooks in the oven.
Bake the Beef Wellington for 30 or 35 minutes at 200ºC, heating from above and below without the fan. As you know, each oven has a mind of its own and cooks differently, hence the 5-minute range.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a trial run of this recipe if you plan on making it for a special occasion, as practise makes perfect.
I have already cooked this fillet more than 10 times, and it comes out better every time. You’re aiming for golden brown puff pastry on the outside and tender and juicy meat inside.
When the time is up, remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.