Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington Say it: beef WEL-ing-tun
Beef Wellington is England’s grand centerpiece: a whole beef tenderloin seared, brushed with mustard, wrapped in a savoury mushroom duxelles and prosciutto, then encased in golden puff pastry. It is traditionally served for celebrations, Sunday lunches and festive dinners, when the pastry is cut open to reveal rosy beef. The contrast is the point—crisp, buttery pastry, deeply savoury mushrooms and ham, and meltingly tender beef. It looks restaurant-worthy but can be assembled ahead, making it a practical showstopper for a home cook.
Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington
Pronounced beef WEL-ing-tun
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Level
- Advanced
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, mustard. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the beef
For the duxelles
For assembly
Method
Pat the beef dry and season all over with the 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef on all sides, including the ends, for 2-3 minutes per side, until deeply browned but still raw inside. Transfer to a plate, remove any twine once cool enough to handle, and brush all over with the mustard; cool completely.
For the duxelles, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop by hand. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat, cook the shallots and garlic for 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant, then add the mushrooms, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is dry, dark and paste-like; spread on a plate and cool completely.
Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on the worktop. Arrange the prosciutto slices in a slightly overlapping rectangle about 10 by 12 inches (25 by 30 cm). Spread the cooled duxelles evenly over the prosciutto, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border.
Place the cooled beef along one long edge of the prosciutto rectangle. Use the plastic wrap to roll the prosciutto and duxelles tightly around the beef into a neat cylinder, twisting the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Lightly flour the worktop and roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 12 by 14 inches (30 by 35 cm). Unwrap the beef, place it in the center, brush the pastry edges with some of the beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the beef. Press the seams firmly to seal, trim any thick excess pastry, and transfer seam-side down to a parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Brush the chilled pastry all over with the remaining beaten egg and score the top lightly with a sharp knife in a decorative pattern, if you like. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and crisp and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare.
Tent the Wellington loosely with foil if the pastry is browning too quickly. Let it rest on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before slicing with a sharp serrated knife. Serve in thick slices.
Regional variants
Some classic versions add a thin layer of chicken liver pâté beneath the duxelles, and individual Wellingtons can be made by wrapping six small steaks in pastry and baking at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes. A vegetarian mushroom Wellington uses a whole roasted mushroom or lentil-nut loaf in place of beef.
Cook's notes
- Keep the duxelles very dry; any excess moisture will steam the pastry from underneath. Cook it until it holds together in a paste and no liquid pools in the pan.
- Chill the seared beef and the prosciutto-wrapped cylinder thoroughly; firm beef is much easier to wrap neatly in pastry.
- Use a meat thermometer and pull the Wellington at 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare; it will rise 5-10°F while resting. Tent with foil only if the pastry darkens too fast.
Serve with
Roast potatoes, steamed green beans or a watercress salad; red Bordeaux or dry English sparkling wine.
Make ahead and storage
Assemble through the pastry-wrapped stage up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate; brush with egg just before baking. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the refrigerator, but the pastry will soften on reheating.
