Master the Technique
Our steps for perfect and easy beef Wellington every time.
Here’s a great Wellington secret: Start preparing your beef Wellington about 5 hours in advance to account for chilling and chopping time.
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Sear It. Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Season beef on all sides. Sear in skillet, 2 min. each side, until browned. Set on paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate to cool. Chop and Sauté. Finely chop mushrooms using knife or food processor. For a mushroom mixture (a duxelles) that spreads thinly and evenly, chop mushrooms to the size of bread crumbs. In the same skillet, heat oil or butter over high heat, then add shallot and mushrooms. Season the mixture and sauté, stirring frequently, until mushrooms brown slightly. |
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Wrap It Tight. Place prosciutto slices on a 12-in. (30 cm) piece of plastic wrap and spread evenly with mushroom mixture. Pat meat dry with paper towel and place in centre of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap to roll tightly into a cylinder. Twist ends together tightly and chill at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. The wrapping and chilling step prevents the puff pastry from becoming soggy later on. |
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Roll and Chill It. Dust worktop with flour and roll puff pastry into 1/8-in. (3 mm) thick rectangle. Unwrap chilled beef and place in centre of pastry. Test that your puff pastry is long enough to easily wrap all the way around the beef, plus an inch or two extra. Paint surrounding dough with egg wash, and wrap around beef, trimming away extra dough and tucking in ends. Place seam down on baking sheet, cover loosely and chill at least 20 min. |
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Check It. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Paint chilled pastry with remaining egg wash. Cut three slits across the top, roast on second rack from the bottom for approximately 1 hour for medium doneness, but for best results make sure that an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F (71°C). Let meat rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 1-in. (2.5 cm) slices to serve. |
