Ingredients
Scale
- Wellington:
- 750g (1lb 10 oz) thick beef tenderloin filet
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 175g (6oz) chestnut mushrooms, chopped finely
- 350g (12oz) puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Good pinch of thyme (fresh or dried)
- 1/2 cup dry sherry (optional)
- 1 flour tortilla or crêpe (optional – you can skip this or use a piece of sliced bread)
- Salt/pepper to season
- Roasted Vegetables:
- 3–4 handfuls of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt/pepper to season
- Gravy:
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 bottle good red wine (something you’d like to drink with it – I used my favourite, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
- Salt/pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220 C/425 F/Gas Mark 7.
- Smear 2 Tbsp of the butter all over the filet, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place in roasting tin uncovered and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the duxelles by heating the oil and the remaining Tbsp of butter in a large pan and sautéing garlic, onion and mushrooms until they begin to soften.
- Add sherry (if using) a splash at a time and wait for it to cook out before adding more. Add in parsley and thyme and season. When it’s all browned nicely (about 15-20 minutes), remove from heat and let cool.
- When meat has baked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, cover with tin foil and let cool.
- Pour the juices out and set aside to make gravy later.
- Roll out pastry until you have a rectangle large enough to wrap the meat in, with a bit of overlap. It will probably be less than 1cm thick and that’s fine, just so long as it’s not thin enough to tear.
- Beat the egg and lightly brush the entire surface of the pastry with it.
- Place the tortilla or crêpe (if using) in the middle, then spoon about 3/4 of the duxelles over the surface, leaving a border of about 2 inches.
- Place the beef in the middle and spoon the rest of the duxelles onto the top of it.
- Wrap the sides of the pastry over the filet, just as you would a Xmas present. Pinch the edges together and use any remaining or excess pastry to patch up gaps or make decorative shapes if you like.
- Pierce a few holes into the top and then brush the rest of the egg wash over the whole Wellington.
- Place back in the roasting tin, on a wire rack if possible, to help guard against ‘soggy bottom syndrome’, and bake for 30 minutes. This gives medium-rare meat. Leave it another 10 minutes or so if you like your beef well done. Check frequently and if it’s starting to brown early, cover with foil.
- While the meat is roasting, put the beans and carrots in an ovenproof dish and toss (using your hands is easiest) with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper. Set aside.
- Remove the Wellington from the oven and let rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing into thick (1 1/2 inch) with a serrated knife.
- While the meat is resting, put the vegetable dish in the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make a gravy using the juices from the meat. Heat them up in a saucepan and whisk in the flour slowly. Add up to 2 cups of red wine and season to taste.
- Serve along with the remaining wine.
Notes
1. To really make life easy, do steps 2-12 a day or two before and keep the Wellington in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it, at which point start with step 1 and then skip to 13.
2. For a smaller group, try making individual Wellingtons for each of your guests. It’s a bit more work, but people do love getting their own little package on a plate.