Ingredients

For the Beef Wellington:

• 2 x 400g beef fillets
• Olive oil, for frying
• 500g mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
• 500g puff pastry
• 8 slices of Parma ham
• 2 egg yolks, beaten with 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Red Wine Sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g beef trimmings
• 4 large shallots, peeled and sliced
• 12 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• Splash of red wine vinegar
• 1 bottle (750ml) red wine
• 750ml beef stock

Preparation Steps

1.Prepare the Beef Fillets:

• Tightly wrap each beef fillet in a triple layer of cling film to set its shape; refrigerate overnight.
• Remove cling film and sear the fillets in a hot pan with olive oil for 30–60 seconds until browned all over and rare in the middle.
• Remove from pan and let cool.

 2.Make the Mushroom Duxelles:

• Finely chop the mushrooms and sauté in a hot pan with olive oil, thyme leaves, and seasoning.
• Cook over high heat until all moisture evaporates, forming a paste-like mixture.
• Let the duxelles cool.

3.Assemble the Wellington:

• Roll out the puff pastry into two rectangles large enough to envelop each beef fillet; chill in the refrigerator.
• On a large sheet of cling film, lay 4 slices of Parma ham, slightly overlapping, to form a square.
• Spread half of the mushroom duxelles evenly over the ham.
• Season a beef fillet and place it on the mushroom-covered ham.
• Using the cling film, roll the ham over the beef into a tight log; twist the ends to secure.
• Repeat with the second fillet and chill both logs for at least 30 minutes.

4.Encase in Pastry:

• Brush the puff pastry with egg wash.
• Remove the cling film from the beef logs and place each on a pastry sheet.
• Wrap the pastry around the beef, sealing the edges and trimming any excess.
• Place the wrapped logs seam-side down on a baking sheet; brush with egg wash and chill for 15 minutes to allow the pastry to firm.

5.Bake:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Score the top of each Wellington lightly and brush with a final coat of egg wash.
• Bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden and the internal temperature of the beef reaches 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare.
• Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

6.Prepare the Red Wine Sauce:

• Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté beef trimmings until browned.
• Add shallots, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until shallots are golden.
• Deglaze with red wine vinegar, then reduce the red wine by half.
• Add beef stock and simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency.
• Strain through a fine sieve and keep warm.