Classic Beef Wellington (Printable)

Beef fillet with mushroom duxelles wrapped in prosciutto and golden puff pastry—an elegant showstopper.

# Ingredient List:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
03 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Mushroom Duxelles

04 - 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
05 - 2 shallots, minced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Assembly

10 - 10 slices prosciutto
11 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 - 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
13 - 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
14 - Flour for dusting

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F
02 - Season beef tenderloin with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear beef on all sides for approximately 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and cool completely
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook until all moisture evaporates and mixture reaches paste-like consistency, approximately 10 minutes. Cool completely
04 - Lay plastic wrap on work surface. Arrange prosciutto slices in slightly overlapping layer to form rectangle larger than beef
05 - Spread cooled mushroom duxelles evenly over prosciutto layer
06 - Brush cooled beef with Dijon mustard. Place beef on duxelles-covered prosciutto
07 - Using plastic wrap, roll prosciutto and mushrooms around beef into tight log. Twist ends to seal and refrigerate for 20 minutes
08 - Roll out puff pastry on floured surface to rectangle large enough to fully encase beef. Unwrap beef from plastic and place in center of pastry
09 - Fold pastry over beef, trimming excess. Seal edges and place seam-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet
10 - Brush pastry with beaten egg. Decorate with pastry scraps if desired. Refrigerate for 10 minutes
11 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden and instant-read thermometer inserted into beef reads 120°F for rare or 130°F for medium-rare
12 - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crispy pastry against tender beef creates a texture contrast that makes every bite feel like a small celebration.
  • Mushroom duxelles adds an earthy richness that somehow makes the beef taste even more like itself.
  • It looks wildly complicated but the steps are actually straightforward if you take them one at a time.
  • Leftovers, if you're lucky enough to have them, are shockingly good cold the next day.
02 -
  • If the beef isn't completely cool before wrapping, the pastry will steam instead of crisp and you'll end up with a soggy bottom that no amount of optimism can fix.
  • Don't skip the chilling steps, they're not suggestions, they're the difference between a tight, clean slice and a landslide of filling.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer because guessing doneness on a dish this expensive is a gamble you don't want to take.
03 -
  • Sear the beef the day before and keep it chilled, it makes assembly faster and the beef stays cold longer, which helps the pastry.
  • Press the mushroom duxelles with a paper towel before spreading if it looks at all wet, even a little extra moisture will make the pastry soggy.
  • Score the pastry lightly with a knife in a crosshatch pattern before egg washing, it looks professional and helps it puff evenly.
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