Classic Beef Wellington

Ingredients

• 800 g beef tenderloin, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 12 slices Parma ham
• 400 g mushrooms
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 30 g butter
• 1 sheet puff pastry (rectangular, 275 g)
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Oil for frying
• Coarse sea salt for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Take the beef tenderloin out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with kitchen paper and season generously with salt and pepper.Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Sear the beef tenderloin all over for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.Make the duxelles: finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor. Melt the butter in the pan, add the mushrooms, shallot and garlic and cook over medium heat until all the moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Let cool completely.Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the work surface. Arrange the Parma ham overlapping like roof tiles on the wrap into a rectangle wide enough to completely enclose the meat. Spread the cooled duxelles evenly over the ham.Brush the beef tenderloin with a thin layer of Dijon mustard. Place the meat at the edge of the ham layer and roll tightly using the plastic wrap. Twist the ends closed and chill for 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 200°C (conventional heat).Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Remove the plastic wrap from the roll and place it on the pastry. Roll tightly, press the edges well to seal and trim away excess pastry. Brush the whole with beaten egg.Place the Wellington on a greased roasting pan. Optionally score a diamond pattern in the pastry for a nice finish. Brush again with egg yolk and sprinkle with some coarse sea salt.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Use a meat thermometer: 52°C for medium-rare, 57°C for medium.Remove the Wellington from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into thick slices and serve immediately.