Beef Wellington is indeed an impressive gourmet selection for New Years Eve / or Day. It’s also a great way to impress your loved one during Valentines Day too. In fact, any big celebration is for sure a MUST to IMPRESS.
With NEW YEARS EVE heading into 2022 – what better way to enjoy your New Years Eve.
Please enjoy —
BEEF WELLINGTON RECIPE FOR TWO ( May be sliced into 4 smaller pieces if you have more guests)
Ingredients:
6-8 oz Filet Mignon ( beef tenderloin )
Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup of Duxelles ( chopped mushrooms— see my full step by step video )
Spinach Crepes ( See my full step by step video and recipe here)
1 box of Puff Pastry ( in frozen section of supermarket)
Method: ( See my Full Step by Step Video of Preparing Beef Wellington)
1. Pat dry and Season Beef Tenderloin with Salt and Pepper
2. In frying pan add canola and 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow pan to get hot but not smoking. Place beef tenderloin into pan and quickly brown ( sear) all sides ( See Video for visual explanation)
3. Place seared beef tenderloin in fridge for 15 minutes to cool off.
4. Prepare Spinach Crepes — See my video for step by step full video
5. Prepare Duxelles ( See my full step by step video )
Begin Assembling: ( See my full Step by Step Video – How to Prepare Beef Wellington)
1. Place out your Spinach Crepes and begin laying out duxelles evenly , starting in the centre of the crepes.
2. Rub Dijon mustard onto the beef tenderloin
3. Place beef tenderloin onto the Centre of the crepes and duxelles mixture
4. Wrap beef tenderloin into a tight nice envelope package. ( place to the side)
5. NEXT — Lightly flour your work area and lay out the Puff Pastry ( See my video for visual) Egg wash the entire piece.
6. Place the beef tenderloin and crepe package onto the Puff Pastry and begin folding into another nice neat package. ( place to the side )
7. NEXT — Roll out Saran Wrap and place nice Beef Tenderloin Package into the middle of the Saran Wrap.
8. Wrap up the Tenderloin Package and place back in fridge for at least 2 Hours. Better yet – leave all night until next day.
DAY OF COOKING BEEF WELLINGTON
Preheat oven to 410 degrees F
Remove Beef Wellington Package and remove the Saran Wrap. Egg wash the whole Puff Pastry Beef Wellington.
VIP PART —
Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes — Turn up heat to 420 degrees F and cook for another :
6 minutes— MEDIUM—RARE
8 minutes— MEDIUM
10 minutes— MEDIUM WELL
Bring out of oven and ( Very Important Part ) LET REST FOR 10 minutes on cutting board.
Just before service to your guests, cut into even slices. IF for Two Guests cut in HALF. Serve with mashed potatoes or duchess potatoes and green beans almondine ( sliced almonds in frying pan with butter and blanched green beans ( boiled in water and drained )
THE FOOD PRESENTATION SCIENCE BEHIND BEEF WELLINGTON GOURMET PIECE
Thought I show you all how the colouring works out w/ the tight format of the Beef Wellington Dish.
You have 4 parts :
The inner show piece is of course the Beef Mignon going for MEDIUM – MEDIUM-RARE. interesting RARE doesn’t work well with Beef Wellington because it will bleed throughout the pastry envelope.
Next is the duxelles ( chopped mushrooms with Madeira)
Next is the Spinach Crepes keeping the package together nicely and showcasing a colour balance with its purposes from keeping the puff pastry from becoming wet
And finally is the Puff Pastry – it’s a prefect pocket of goodness cooked to a nice golden brown caramelized.
The overall Beef Wellington drizzled w/ Madeira brown sauce features a Chefs gourmet presentation to its guests.
In previous private golf clubs and restaurants I worked at, it was traditional to carve the Beef Wellington Tableside by a Matre ‘de to showcase for the guests. It was also important that the sliced Beef Wellington was placed on a presentation plate of its own, usually two pieces sliced per customer.
The sides were then brought out on separate dishes, such as Duchess Potatoes and asparagus, for example.
I hope you enjoy my Beef Wellington Presentation— please support my efforts by purchasing my cookbook “ Canadian Recipes of the Great White North”
Cheers !
chefbari 