Beef Wellington

If you've ever seen a slice of Beef Wellington you've surely thought how delicious it must be. And it is! Making it at home is possible, and more than complicated it requires time, that's all. So we'll hand over to Rosa (Pemberley Cup&Cakes) to tell you in detail how to prepare it. Success is guaranteed!

A Beef Wellington is not something you make every day, but rest assured the incredible feeling of satisfaction the experience produces will remain in your memory for a long time. So it's one of those signature recipes usually reserved for certain occasions and with which success is assured.

The one I'm bringing you today is Jamie Oliver's Beef Wellington recipe, included in his fantastic book Comfort Food. I must say I've made a few minor adjustments based on my personal experience (we've tried it at home several times); I always ended up with leftover filling and in the sauce the thyme seemed too pronounced (see Notes below). But it's a matter of taste. While it's true it doesn't require an overly complicated preparation, it is important to dedicate a certain amount of time — once all the ingredients are ready, it's not unlikely that a couple of hours will pass in the kitchen — and attention to achieve our goal successfully.

Obviously, the quality of the ingredients will have a directly proportional effect on the final result. Everyday shopping may not stir many emotions, but when it comes to preparing a special dish, I admit that for me it becomes a whole sensory experience. Choosing that cut of meat that practically calls your name like a siren song, getting a beautiful haul of mushrooms with the most fascinating names and shapes, getting lost in the fresh herbs section.... And that aroma that will accompany you throughout the whole kitchen process; true music for the senses.

Mortero Emile Henry, De Buyer non-stick oven tray, Skeppshult iron salt cellar and Masterclass rectangular board

The truth is that, moreover, working with utensils from the De Buyer brand like those used for this recipe is a real pleasure; knowing you won't lose an ounce of flavor and that they will perform meeting your expectations down to the smallest detail is always a guarantee.

So, are you tempted? Start preparing the shopping list…

Ingredients (for 6 people)

• 1Kg beef tenderloin (approx. 10cm Ø)
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 500gr puff pastry
• 1 egg, for brushing

For the filling

• 500gr mixed mushrooms
• 1 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 100gr chicken livers
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon truffle-infused oil (optional)
• 50gr homemade bread crumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce

• 2 large onions
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 heaped teaspoon blackcurrant jam
• 50ml Madeira wine
• 1 heaped teaspoon English mustard
• 2 heaped tablespoons flour
• 500ml beef stock
• Extra virgin olive oil

Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food book, De Buyer cast-iron frying pan, Mediterránea Lifestyle recycled glass tumbler, Skeppshult iron salt jar and Textured Tokyo Design plate

Preparation

1. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you start cooking and let it lose the chill at room temperature well wrapped.
2. Next, season the entire piece generously with salt and pepper, rubbing gently with your hands so it all adheres well.
3. Once ready, heat a generous splash of oil in a 26 cm Ø frying pan, like this De Buyer one over high heat. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, sear the meat. Place the butter, the rosemary sprig and the tenderloin in the pan and brown it on all sides (including the ends) for about 4 minutes in total, using a pair of kitchen tongs to turn it.
4. Transfer to a dish and let cool while you prepare the filling.

Filling preparation:

1. Start by removing the remains from the pan in which you seared the meat with a bit of kitchen paper (no need to clean it thoroughly, just remove the fat).
2. Peel the onion and garlic cloves, wash the mushrooms and chop everything very finely. This step can be quite time-consuming, as there's a lot to chop; you can arm yourself with a good kitchen knife or use a food processor.
3. Next, add oil again to the pan just enough to cover the base and, over medium heat, sauté all the vegetables together with the butter and rosemary (only the leaves; discard the central sprig) for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until everything is tender and lightly browned.
4. Then finely chop the chicken livers (they must be very clean) and add them to the previous mixture together with the Worcestershire sauce. Give it a few more turns until they are well cooked and remove from the heat.
5. It's time to add the truffle oil to the filling if you're going to use it and, if our filling still has a coarse texture, transfer everything to a large cutting board and finish chopping with a large sharp knife until you achieve a spreadable consistency.
6. Season to taste, add the breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. Set aside while it cools.

Skeppshult iron salt cellar and traditional Paderno oil cruet

Assembly and baking:

1. Preheat the oven (electric, no fan) to 210ºC and place the oven rack in the middle position.
2. Once both the tenderloin and the filling are cool, prepare the puff pastry. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry with a lightly floured rolling pin until you form a rectangle of about 30 x 40 cm.
3. Next, place the pastry sheet on a non-stick oven tray, like this De Buyer one (or on the oven tray lined with baking paper) and spread the filling evenly over the surface, leaving a 5 cm margin at each end and along one of the longer sides, margins which we'll brush with beaten egg using a pastry brush.
4. Then place the tenderloin in the center of the spread filling and wrap it with the pastry starting from the side you left without a margin, making sure it's snug. Turn it over so the seam is on the bottom, press the edge of the meat with the heel of your hand and seal by pressing the pastry at both ends with the tines of a fork.
5. To finish, brush the entire pastry surface with the remaining beaten egg. (At this point you can continue with the rest of the process or cover with cling film and refrigerate until you're ready to resume. In the latter case, do not preheat the oven initially and be careful to remove it from the fridge at least 1 ½ hours before baking so it returns to room temperature.)
6. Place the tray with our tenderloin on the largest burner and let the base start to cook for a couple of minutes before placing it in the oven; this way it will soften less when the meat starts to release its juices.
7. Finally, put the tray in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until well browned on the outside.

Sauce preparation:

1. We chop the onions into roughly irregular pieces and start softening them over medium heat together with the thyme leaves (discard the sprigs) in a medium Shallow Casserole with a couple of tablespoons of oil for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon until they are very tender.
2. Then add the blackcurrant jam and mix well.
3. As soon as the mixture has darkened, add the wine and let it simmer for a few minutes until reduced.
4. Next, add the mustard and flour and stir until combined.
5. Finally, gradually add the beef stock, stirring constantly, and let it emulsify until it thickens slightly, as you prefer, stirring constantly. Keep in mind that it will thicken a bit more as it cools.
6. Remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender. If you prefer a very smooth sauce, pass it through a sieve or chinois; if you like a bit more texture, leave it as is.

Once our tenderloin is ready, we'll wait about 5 minutes before serving (straight out of the oven we wouldn't get a good slice). We then cut portions about 2cm thick and serve with the sauce and some vegetables on the griddle or a bit of salad as a side.

"Arrels" 30-year Clos Mogador wine

Notes

• If you want to follow the original recipe to the letter, you should use 600gr of mushrooms instead of 500gr, double the amount of thyme in the sauce and increase the beef stock to 600ml.
• The puff pastry can be homemade, fresh or frozen (which must be used once thawed). If you choose one of the latter two options, you may not find 500gr blocks. If you need to join several sheets to reach this amount, slightly moisten the surface of each pastry sheet where they will contact so they adhere well and do not separate when handling or during baking.

Have you already decided the next date to amaze your loved ones? It wouldn't be surprising if it wasn't the only one…

Regards,

Rosa