Beef Wellington
Named after a 19th Century Duke who didn't really like the dish; it was Richard Nixon who made it famous in the 1960s.
The Duke of Wellington, who won the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon in 1815, was quite indifferent to food, so much so that his cooks often gave notice and quit. In spite of this, his name has inexplicably been given to a tenderloin of beef, coated in Duxelles and wrapped with prosciutto, and then encased in puff pasty. This dish actually became popular in the 1960s and it was a favorite menu item for state dinners in the Nixon administration.
Regardless of the origin of the name or the folklore since, Beef Wellington is an excellent holiday or celebration dinner dish. It's totally elegant, but not as difficult to prepare as you might think. Duxelles is nothing more than a fancy French cooking term for a blend of sauteed mushrooms, shallots and seasonings until it collapses and makes a paste. And yes, I add a little A-1 Steak Sauce to my Duxelles.
I also use store-bought puff pastry sheets for this dish. I can’t see the need to go to the trouble to produce this product organically when Pepperidge Farm figured out a way to bring a perfectly acceptable version to the market.
It seems that a Madeira Wine Sauce is generally the preferred accompaniment to Beef Wellington. Madeira wine is Portuguese, but the sauce is decidedly French. I preferred to make a non-traditional Wine Sauce with Marsala, which is Italian. Both Madeira and Marsala wines are similar in that they are sweet, fruity and fortified with brandy. Both sauces are similar in that they use shallots and mushrooms, and can be made with or without cream. I chose the latter and I prefer to use Shiitakes, which is less traditional still. Call me a provocateur.
Beef Wellington
Ingredients
- 2 lb USDA Prime beef tenderloin, trimmed
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard (like, Grey Poupon)
- 8 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 cups Duxelles (recipe follows)
- 2 sheets puff pastry dough (like, Pepperidge Farm)
- 1 egg, well beaten with 2 tbs tepid water (making an egg wash)
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 10-12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
- 2 cups Marsala Wine Sauce with Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1-1/2 sticks butter (12 tbsp)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 16 oz Crimini mushrooms, very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup port wine
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp Bordelaise Sauce
- 2 tbsp A-1 Steak Sauce
- 3 tbsp dried parsley, or 6 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- dash paprika
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 10-12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Duxelles first, then proceed with the recipe.
- In a skillet large enough to hold the beef roast, heat the olive until shimmering on high heat and sear the meat, turning 1/8 turns and cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the roast from the heat and drain on paper towels while allowing it to cool for 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- Coat the top half of the roast in Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the Duxelles over the top of the entire roast and then wrap the slices of Prosciutto over the top half of the roast, allowing each slice to slightly overlap the other.
- Wrap the whole roast in the sheets of puff pastry, being sure the meat is entirely encased. Try not to overlap the pastry sheets. Simply cut off the portions of puff pastry that are too large for the roast and pinch the remaining sheets of dough together on the sides and bottom of the loaf.
- Use a pasty brush to slather the egg wash over the top of the loaf.
- Using a sharp knife, make four or five diagonal incisions in the top of the loaf, but not cutting all the way through the dough. As the roast cooks, these incisions will open up and contrast against the golden brownness of the dough slathered in the egg wash, giving the roast a finished, professional look.
- Spray a roasting pan with the non-stick cooking spray before placing the loaf in the middle of the pan, and then place the sheet pan in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes, but use a meat thermometer to roast the loaf to a temperature of 125°F.
- Loosely cover the Wellington with aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes while carry-over heat will raise the roast's temperature to 135° degrees, which will be a perfect medium rare.
- Use a very sharp knife to carve the roast into one-inch slices.
- Serve the Marsala Wine Sauce at the table and allow guests to help themselves to their liking.
- Put 3 tbsp of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Sauté the shallots until they begin to pick up some caramelized color, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
- Melt the remaining 9 tbsp butter in the pan, then add and sauté the mushrooms. Stirring frequently, bring all the ingredients to a browned, caramelized state, about 30 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the port wine.
- Add the lemon juice, Bordelaise and A-1 sauces, with the thyme, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stirring frequently, simmer the liquid away until you have a thick, pasty concoction, about another 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly before proceeding with the recipe.
Notes
- For the Duxelles, you can omit the Bordelaise Sauce and instead add a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base dissolved in 3 tbsp of hot beef stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics).
Marsala Wine Sauce with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- 8 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1 medium shallot, finely minced
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried ground rosemary
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Marsala wine
- 1/4 cup Port wine
- 1- 1/2 cups beef stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 7-8 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan that has a tight fitting lid over medium high heat, melt 4 tbsp of butter and sauté the shallots until they collapse begin to pick up some color, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté another minute or so.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for a minute, then add the Marsala and Port wines, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef stock, salt and pepper, and stir well to incorporate all the ingredients, then gently simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, allowing it to reduce slightly. Stir frequently.
- Cap the saucepan with the lid and set the stove to its lowest setting. Allow the sauce to sit for an hour or more before serving.
- Before serving, whisk in the last 2 tbsp of butter. The sauce is now ready to use.
Notes
- If the sauce is not thick enough to your liking, make a slurry of 3 tbsp all purpose flour and 3 oz warm tap water, thoroughly mixed, then add a little at a time to the sauce while it is simmering. Bring back to a simmer and stir for 1 minute while the sauce thickens. Add more if further thickening is desired.
