Wellington Done
Apr. 4th, 2021 08:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Anniversary Resolution Recipe: Beef Wellington.
We've gotten a couple chunks of Napa-raised Wagyu beef chateaubriand (how many names can I drop there) from our local butcher. They had it on "pandemic special" - cuts they normally would have sold to restaurants. For $12/lb it was a steal. I used one for our anniversary dinner.
1 2-lb center cut beef tenderloin, trimmed (I used aforesaid chateaubriand)
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
no garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
thyme
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
12 thin slices proscuitto (I used house-made lonza)
14 oz puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
flaky salt for sprinkling
Season meat with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with oil and heat over high heat. When nearly smoking, sear the meat until well-browned on all sides, including the ends, about 2 minutes per side (12 minutes total). Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, coat all sides with mustard and let cool in the fridge.
Make duxelles: pulse mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme in a fud processor until finely chopped. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then let cool in the fridge.
Place plastic wrap on a work surface, overlapping so that it's twice the length and width of the meat. Shingle the proscuitto on the plastic wrap into a rectangle that's big enough to cover the whole tenderloin. Spread the duxelles evenly and thinly over the proscuitto. Season the meat, then place it at the bottom of the proscuitto. Roll the meat into the mushroom mixture, using plastic wrap to roll tightly. Tuck the ends of proscuitto as you roll, then twist ends of the plastic wrap tightly into a log and chill in the fridge (this helps it maintain its shape).
Heat oven to 425. Lightly flour your work surface, then spread out puff pastry and roll it into a rectangle that will cover the tenderloin (just a little bigger than the proscuitto rectangle you just made!). Remove meat from plastic wrap and place on bottom of puff pastry. Brush the other three edges of the pastry with egg wash, then tightly roll beef into pastry. Trim any extra pastry, then crimp edges with a fork to seal well. Wrap roll in plastic wrap to get a really tight cylinder, then chill for 20 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap, then transfer to a lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the pastry is golden and the center registers 120 F for medium-rare, about 40-45 minutes. Let rest 19 minutes before carving and serving.
What worked: This looked brilliant and showy. The beef was a very nice medium-rare and was like buttah. It was delicious and a lovely decadent dinner with Fronch champagne for our 21st anniversary.
I used commercial puff pastry, because I am not insane.
What didn't: I didn't spray the pan, and it stuck a bit; also the underside had a bit of a soggy bottom. Garlic would have improved the duxelles. The lonza was a nice idea, but it's not as pliable as proscuitto so rolling was a bit tougher.
This was far more than we could eat, and it wasn't anywhere near as good later - of course, the puff pastry sogged.
Will I make it again? I won't say never, but this won't be a routine dish for many reasons. I'd be more likely to make a half-serving (possibly with the full puff pastry doubled over for more crackly pastry goodness).
We've gotten a couple chunks of Napa-raised Wagyu beef chateaubriand (how many names can I drop there) from our local butcher. They had it on "pandemic special" - cuts they normally would have sold to restaurants. For $12/lb it was a steal. I used one for our anniversary dinner.
1 2-lb center cut beef tenderloin, trimmed (I used aforesaid chateaubriand)
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
no garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
thyme
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
12 thin slices proscuitto (I used house-made lonza)
14 oz puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
flaky salt for sprinkling
Season meat with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with oil and heat over high heat. When nearly smoking, sear the meat until well-browned on all sides, including the ends, about 2 minutes per side (12 minutes total). Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, coat all sides with mustard and let cool in the fridge.
Make duxelles: pulse mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme in a fud processor until finely chopped. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then let cool in the fridge.
Place plastic wrap on a work surface, overlapping so that it's twice the length and width of the meat. Shingle the proscuitto on the plastic wrap into a rectangle that's big enough to cover the whole tenderloin. Spread the duxelles evenly and thinly over the proscuitto. Season the meat, then place it at the bottom of the proscuitto. Roll the meat into the mushroom mixture, using plastic wrap to roll tightly. Tuck the ends of proscuitto as you roll, then twist ends of the plastic wrap tightly into a log and chill in the fridge (this helps it maintain its shape).
Heat oven to 425. Lightly flour your work surface, then spread out puff pastry and roll it into a rectangle that will cover the tenderloin (just a little bigger than the proscuitto rectangle you just made!). Remove meat from plastic wrap and place on bottom of puff pastry. Brush the other three edges of the pastry with egg wash, then tightly roll beef into pastry. Trim any extra pastry, then crimp edges with a fork to seal well. Wrap roll in plastic wrap to get a really tight cylinder, then chill for 20 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap, then transfer to a lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the pastry is golden and the center registers 120 F for medium-rare, about 40-45 minutes. Let rest 19 minutes before carving and serving.
What worked: This looked brilliant and showy. The beef was a very nice medium-rare and was like buttah. It was delicious and a lovely decadent dinner with Fronch champagne for our 21st anniversary.
I used commercial puff pastry, because I am not insane.
What didn't: I didn't spray the pan, and it stuck a bit; also the underside had a bit of a soggy bottom. Garlic would have improved the duxelles. The lonza was a nice idea, but it's not as pliable as proscuitto so rolling was a bit tougher.
This was far more than we could eat, and it wasn't anywhere near as good later - of course, the puff pastry sogged.
Will I make it again? I won't say never, but this won't be a routine dish for many reasons. I'd be more likely to make a half-serving (possibly with the full puff pastry doubled over for more crackly pastry goodness).
