# Beef Wellington Dinner Party Recipe
INTRODUCTION
Beef Wellington, an elegant, decadent dish that’s perfect for your next dinner party. It has a reputation for being time-consuming and fiddly, but broken down into manageable steps, it’s quite straightforward. This recipe will illustrate how to tackle this classic showstopper with confidence.
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
Beef Wellington is something you make when you want to pull out all the stops. It’s an impressive centerpiece that’s delicious and rich. Flaky puff pastry wrapped around succulent beef, a layer of prosciutto, and a mushroom garlic mixture – known as duxelles, it never fails to wow the crowd.
HOW TO MAKE BEEF WELLINGTON
INGREDIENTS
For our Beef Wellington, you will need:
– 1.5 lbs beef tenderloin
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
– 8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 4 slices prosciutto
– 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
– 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
DIRECTIONS
Here are the key steps to make this majestic Beef Wellington:
1. First, preheat the oven and sear your beef. Heat the oil until shimmering and then sear the beef until browned. Allow it to cool before brushing with Dijon mustard.
2. Saute your mushrooms and garlic until golden and let this mixture or duxelles cool.
3. Next, lay out your prosciutto slices and spread over with the mushroom mixture. Wrap this around the beef and chill.
4. Roll out your puff pastry, unwrap your beef and wrap the meat in the pastry sealing the edges with your beaten egg.
5. Bake until golden, ensuring the meat reaches your desired level of doneness.
6. Lastly, let it rest before slicing and serving.
HOW TO SERVE BEEF WELLINGTON
Accompany your Beef Wellington with some buttered new potatoes and green beans, or a simple leafy salad. A good red wine or Prosecco also goes well with this dish.
HOW TO STORE BEEF WELLINGTON
You can store Beef Wellington in the fridge for up to 3 days. To retain optimal quality, wrap the dish tightly in foil or place it in an airtight container.
TIPS TO MAKE BEEF WELLINGTON
Keep the beef cold at all times and the puff pastry as cold as possible. If the pastry is brought to room temperature, it can become too soft to work with.
VARIATION
For a vegetarian adaptation, replace the beef with Portobello mushrooms.
FAQs
Q: Can I use other meats?
A: Yes, it will no longer be a Beef Wellington, but you might try duck or venison.
Q: What if I don’t like the taste of mushrooms?
A: The mushroom flavor in Beef Wellington is not overpowering. But, if preferred you can substitute with chestnuts or leave them out altogether.
Q: Do I have to use Dijon mustard?
A: Not necessarily. You can replace it with a mustard of your choice or even Horseradish or a Red Wine reduction.