What is a Beef Wellington?

Beef Wellington is a preparation of filet steak coated with pâté (often pâté de foie gras) and duxelles, which is then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Some recipes include wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe to retain the moisture and prevent it making the pastry soggy.

A whole tenderloin may be wrapped and baked, and then sliced for serving, or the tenderloin may be sliced into individual portions prior to wrapping and baking. Many spices may be added to enhance the flavour; some examples are curry, allspice, any grilling mix or ginger.

The origin of the name is unclear. There are theories that suggest that beef Wellington is named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Some theories go a step further and suggest this was due to his love of a dish of beef, truffles, mushrooms, Madeira wine, and pâté cooked in pastry, but there is a noted lack of evidence supporting this. In addition to the dearth of evidence attaching this dish to the famous Duke, the earliest recorded recipe to bear this name appeared in a 1966 cookbook. Other accounts simply credit the name to a patriotic chef wanting to give an English name to a variation on the French filet de bœuf en croûte during the Napoleonic Wars. Still another theory is that the dish is not named after the Duke himself, but rather that the finished filet was thought to resemble one of the brown shiny military boots which were named after him.

In introducing a recipe for beef Wellington, Clarissa Dickson Wright claims “This dish has nothing to do with that splendid hero, the Duke of Wellington; it was invented for a civic reception in Wellington, New Zealand, but it is a splendid addition to any party.”

“Wellington” is sometimes informally used to describe other dishes in which meat is baked in a puff pastry; the most common variations are sausage Wellington, lamb Wellington and salmon Wellington.

How make an Individual Beef Wellington

Try these delicious savoury parcels! Tender, lean steak, topped with a mouth-watering mushroom and paté stuffing, encased in crisp, golden pastry, means every bite is a pure delight.

4 x 4 oz/100 g pieces fillet steak
½ oz/15 g unsalted butter

FOR THE STUFFING:
2 shallots
1 oz/25 g unsalted butter
2 oz/50 g mushrooms
2 oz/50 g fresh white breadcrumbs
2 oz/50 g liver paté
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, size 5
1 lb/450 g puff pastry
flat-leaved parsley to garnish

Preheat the oven to Gas 7, 425°F, 220°C, 15 minutes before cooking the Beef Wellington. Trim off any fat from the steaks and, if necessary, trim to a good shape. Heat the butter in a frying pan, then fry the steaks on both sides until completely sealed. Remove from pan, drain on kitchen paper, cover lightly and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing for your beef wellington. Peel and finely chop the shallots, then heat butter in a pan and fry shallots for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Wipe mushrooms and chop finely, add to pan and fry for a further 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, then add the bread-crumbs. Chop the pate finely, add to the pan with the parsley, and season to taste. Mix lightly. Beat the egg, then add enough to bind stuffing together.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and, using a saucer, cut out four 7 in/18 cm rounds. Reserve trimmings. Place a spoonful of the stuffing in the centre of each pastry round, then top with a piece of steak. Brush edges of the pastry lightly with water, then bring the edges up and over to encase the steak completely. Pinch the edges firmly together, then place on a slightly dampened baking sheet, with the join underneath. Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut out 12 thin strips with a pastry wheel. Brush the strips lightly with water, then use to decorate the parcels. Brush completely with remaining beaten egg and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and well risen. Garnish with the flat-leaved parsley and serve immediately with freshly cooked vegetables.

Provided neither the steak nor the pastry has been previously frozen, you can prepare the Beef Wellington as instructed (but don’t brush with egg), then open-freeze before cooking. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer proof container or freezer bag, seal and store until required. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before brushing with beaten egg and cooking.

If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest.

Get the best website builder available anywhere –SBI! Lick here for more information

Return from beef wellington to Home Page

If you want to increase your site popularity and gain thousands of visitors – check out these sites THEY ARE FREE. Spanishchef more than doubled its ‘New Visitors’ last month simply by signing up to these sites: