– The queen of festive classics
Beef Wellington, also known as the French filet de bœuf en croûte, is a true classic of fine dining and ideal for special occasions. This delicious dish combines tender beef fillet with a flavourful mushroom and truffle filling and crisp puff pastry.
Ingredients for Beef Wellington
Before you start, here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card at the end of the article!
- Centre cut of beef fillet: When buying, look for a uniform thickness and a dark red, fresh colour. Well-aged meat (dry-aged or wet-aged) is ideal, as it becomes particularly tender and flavourful.
- Butter puff pastry: Makes Beef Wellington crispy and delicious. When buying it, be sure to check the ingredients list to ensure you choose puff pastry that doesn’t contain palm oil. Butter puff pastry contains only butter and no vegetable fats such as palm oil.
- Cooking butter: Ideal for searing meat. Cooking butter is clarified butter that can withstand high temperatures without burning and imparts a delicate buttery flavour to the meat.
- Rosemary: Adds a fresh, aromatic note.
- Mushrooms (e.g. button mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms): form the savoury base of the filling.
- Pickled truffles, truffle butter or truffle oil: adds a luxurious flavour to the filling.
- Onions and garlic: essential for a rich flavour.
- Fleur de sel: for seasoning and adding the finishing touch.
- Breadcrumbs, panko or breadsticks: help bind the filling.
- Chickenliver: Adds depth and flavour to the filling.
- Egg yolk and cream: create a lovely, golden-brown crust.
How to make Beef Wellington
Finely chop the rosemary and mix with fleur de sel. Coat the beef fillet in the mixture so that it is flavoured all over. Sear the fillet on all sides in clarified butter, including the ends. Leave the meat to cool completely.
Tip: Don’t use the turbo setting on induction hobs, so that the meat doesn’t burn.
Finely dice the onion and mushrooms and fry in clarified butter until translucent. Add the finely chopped chicken livers and crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper, and fry until the liquid has evaporated. Leave the mushroom mixture to cool completely.
Tip: Allow the mixture to cool completely so that the pastry doesn’t become too soggy later on.
Mix the mushroom mixture with breadcrumbs, truffles, truffle butter or truffle oil, then chop finely.
Preheat the oven to 210 °C (top and bottom heat). Roll out the butter puff pastry on baking paper and spread the filling evenly over it. Place the fillet on top, brush the edges of the pastry with the egg yolk and cream mixture, and wrap the puff pastry around it. Use the remaining puff pastry for decoration.
Tip: To keep the pastry base crispy, sear the Beef Wellington for 2 minutes in a hot frying wrapped in baking paper, sear in a hot pan.
Bake the Beef Wellington in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 52 °C (around 35 minutes for 1 kg or 45 minutes for 1.5 kg). Leave to rest for 10 minutes after baking.
Tip: Use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
Variations and serving suggestions
Beef Wellington tastes delicious served with fresh seasonal vegetables and homemade demi-glace. The filling also works very well as a stuffing for chicken or as small canapés wrapped in puff pastry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop the pastry base from getting soggy? Sear
the Beef Wellington in a frying pan just before baking – this will make the base nice and crispy.
Can I prepare Beef Wellington in advance?
Yes, you can prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
What are the alternatives to chicken liver?
You can leave the liver out or use more mushrooms instead.
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