Beef Wellington

Ingredients

• 1 lb Fillet Beef
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 lb Mushrooms
• 4 slices Ham
• 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 7 oz Puff Pastry
• 2 Egg Yolks

Method

The architecture of Wellington is three layers of insulation: the fillet stays rare inside whilst the pastry crisps and the duxelles (mushroom purée) acts as a moisture barrier. Start by searing the beef. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan until it smokes, then sear the fillet on all sides and both ends for two minutes per surface — you're building a brown crust through the Maillard reaction, not cooking the meat through. The internal temperature should sit around 30°C. Season aggressively with salt and pepper before the pan hits the heat. Once seared, brush the entire fillet with mustard whilst it's still hot; the residual warmth helps the mustard adhere and its acidity will begin breaking down surface proteins, creating a flavour anchor that won't wash away during baking.

The duxelles is non-negotiable. Pulse mushrooms finely — not a purée, but a coarse mince — then cook them in a dry pan over medium-high heat without oil. Mushrooms are mostly water; the heat drives off that moisture, and once the mixture darkens and smells almost nutty, the water is gone and the umami is concentrated. This matters: wet duxelles will soften your pastry from within and turn the whole thing soggy. Cool the duxelles completely on a plate.

Lay ham slices on cling film, overlapping slightly to form a rectangle large enough to wrap the fillet. Spread the cooled duxelles across the ham, place the mustard-brushed fillet in the centre, then roll the ham up around it using the plastic wrap as a guide — the plastic stays outside, the ham and mushroom seal the meat. Chill for at least 20 minutes; this helps the ham set and makes the parcel easier to wrap in pastry. Preheat your oven to 200°C.

Roll puff-pastry to 3mm thickness and wrap it around the fillet, sealing the seams with beaten egg yolk. Brush the entire surface with egg wash — this creates the golden colour you want — and score the top lightly with a knife (shallow lines only, don't pierce through). Bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is deep gold and sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should reach 45–48°C for medium-rare. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing; the residual heat will finish cooking the interior to perfect pink, and resting distributes the juices rather than letting them run across the plate.