She Strengthens

Elevate Your Dinner Party with a Show-Stopping Beef Wellington

The Classic Recipe Reimagined

Beef Wellington, a dish typically reserved for special occasions, can be a culinary masterpiece or a disaster waiting to happen. But fear not, dear cooks! With this recipe, you’ll be guaranteed a heavenly, show-stopping main course that will impress even the most discerning palates.

The Perfect Union of Flavors and Textures

This Beef Wellington recipe combines the tenderloin’s richness with the earthy flavors of mushroom duxelles, the savory goodness of prosciutto, and the flaky, buttery crust of puff pastry. It’s a match made in culinary heaven!

Game Plan: Simplify Your Prep

To make this recipe more manageable, feel free to use store-bought pâté or make your own using our Chicken Liver–Port Pâté recipe. For a simpler take, try our classic beef tenderloin recipe. This dish was featured as part of our Last Kodachrome Christmas menu, so you know it’s a crowd-pleaser!

Yield and Cooking Time

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Difficulty: Medium
Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins, plus 55 mins roasting and resting time
Active Time: 1 hr 45 mins

The Essential Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 (2- to 3-pound) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 6 ounces chicken or duck liver pâté (see Game Plan note), at room temperature
• 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package all-butter puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

The Step-by-Step Guide

Rehydrate the Porcini Mushrooms

Place the porcinis in a small heatproof bowl and pour in the boiling water. Let sit until completely softened, about 30 minutes. Using a fork, transfer the porcinis to a cutting board (be careful not to disturb the gritty sediment at the bottom of the bowl). Finely chop the mushrooms and set them aside.

Prepare the Beef and Mushroom Mixture

Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until foaming. Place the roast in the pan and brown it all over, taking care not to burn the butter, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the roast to a plate to cool.

Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a separate medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the reserved porcinis, the garlic, the reserved porcini liquid, and the cremini mushrooms and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom mixture has released most of its moisture and appears dry, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the thyme, and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Assemble the Wellington

When the mushroom mixture has cooled, place the pâté in a medium bowl and beat with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the mushroom mixture and stir to evenly combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Using a long metal spatula, spread half of the mushroom mixture evenly over one side of the beef roast. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap, slightly larger than the roast, horizontally on the work surface. Vertically arrange half of the prosciutto, one piece slightly overlapping the next, along the length of the plastic wrap (it should be about the same size as the roast). Place the roast mushroom-side down on the prosciutto. Spread the remaining mushroom mixture over the roast. Lay the rest of the prosciutto slices, in the same manner as before, over the mushroom mixture. Fold up the edges of the plastic wrap and use another piece of plastic to enclose the entire roast; refrigerate.

Bake to Perfection

Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Cut off about one-third of the puff pastry from the sheet and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick and at least 1 inch larger than the base of the roast. Transfer to a baking sheet. Prick well with a fork all over and bake until brown and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pastry to a cutting board to cool, then trim it to the size of the roast. Return the pastry to the baking sheet; set aside.

Remove the roast from the refrigerator. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Brush the roast all over with the beaten egg; reserve the remaining egg.

Roll out the remaining puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 14 inches. Place the roast on top of the cooked pastry base. Lay the rolled-out pastry over the roast. Use a spatula to lift up the pastry base, then tuck the sides of the uncooked pastry underneath the cooked pastry to seal the roast. Brush the pastry all over with the reserved egg.

Roast for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F and continue to roast for 25 minutes more for rare to medium-rare beef, 30 to 35 minutes for medium. Remove the Wellington from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.