A classic and show stopping Beef Wellington delivers all the holiday cheer. Premium ingredients and careful steps make this ambitious main dish truly unforgettable. Isn’t that what we hope for the holidays?
INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 8)
2lbs filet mignon
salt/pepper
4 Tbs Dijon Mustard
½ lb Prosciutto di Parma (approx. 6 slices)
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1 cup mushroom duxelles*
4+ savory herb crêpes (enough to cover the filet)**
1 sheet puff pastry rolled ¼” thin
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs whole milk
*MUSHROOM DUXELLES:
1 lb mushrooms (1/2 lb Portobello, ½ oyster or whatever looks great)
1 Tbs EVOO
salt/pepper
**SAVORY HERB CREPES:
½ cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ tsp kosher salt
4 Tbs water
½ cup whole milk
1 Tbs thyme, minced
4 Tbs butter, melted
PREPARATION:
1. Remove puff pastry from the freezer. Allow to soften but make sure it stays chilled.
2. Pat filet fry with paper towels and season generously with salt and cracked pepper.
3. Prepare mushroom duxelle. Clean and dry mushrooms, coarsely chop and purée in a food processor until completely smooth. The consistency will be similar to a wet hummus. Place in a hot pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season gently with salt and pepper. (Mixture will reduce and flavors will concentrate so be conservative) and spread evenly over surface. Mixture should gently bubble and sweat. Continue cooking until mixture is the texture of a spreadable pate. Set aside in a small bowl and allow to cool.
4. Prepare Savory Herb Crêpes. Whisk together flour and eggs in a medium mixing bowl, Add 2 Tbs water and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining 2 Tbs water and whisk. Reserve the remaining butter for greasing the crêpe pan. Heat 8” pan on medium heat. ¼ cup batter= 1 thin, beautiful crêpe. Rotate pan in a circular motion to cover completely with batter. Edges will begin to curl slightly as crêpe cooks. Cook for approx. 60 seconds until the bottom is a pale golden brown. Remove from heat and repeat. (In French tradition, the first one is always for the dog. This lets the pan season, takes the pressure off and keeps your faithful companion happy.)
5. Preheat oven to 400F
6. Heat pan on medium high. Add grape seed or canola oil. When oil begins to smoke, lay filet down and brown for 1-2 miniutes on all sides. Remove from heat, place on a cutting board and allow to cool.
7. Smother browned filet with Dijon mustard and gently wrap with prosciutto.
8. Square off the edges of the crepes and trim to just cover filet. Be sure to minimize any overlap. Spread crêpes with mushroom duxelle. (The crepes create a barrier so the duxelles does not soak through and steam the puffr pastry.) Gently wrap the crepes around the filet so that the mushroom duxelles is layered between the crêpes and the prosciutto.
9. Finally, lay the log on top of a sheet of puff pastry rolled to ¼” thin. Again, trim any excess pastry away to minimize overlap along the under seam.
10. Place on a parchement lined baking sheet, seam side down. Baste with a light egg wash (1 egg yok, 1 Tbs whole milk, whisked) and bake for approx. 25 minutes until temperature reads 125F. Allow to rest a minimum of 10 minutes before slicing into 1 ½” medallions. Serve immediately with a fantastic bottle of Bordeaux. Cheers! Attachments area
