Beef Wellington with Mushroom Duxelles (Print)

Tender beef wrapped in mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, and golden puff pastry for a stunning main course.

# Components:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
03 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Mushroom Duxelles

04 - 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
05 - 2 shallots, minced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Assembly

10 - 10 slices prosciutto
11 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 - 1 sheet puff pastry, 14 ounces, thawed if frozen
13 - 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
14 - Flour for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 425°F and allow to reach full temperature.
02 - Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear beef on all sides for 2 minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove from heat and cool completely.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook until all moisture evaporates and mixture becomes paste-like, approximately 10 minutes. Cool completely.
04 - Lay plastic wrap on work surface. Arrange prosciutto slices in slightly overlapping pattern to form rectangle just larger than beef dimensions.
05 - Distribute cooled mushroom duxelles evenly across prosciutto layer.
06 - Brush cooled beef with Dijon mustard on all sides.
07 - Position mustard-coated beef in center of duxelles-covered prosciutto. Using plastic wrap as aid, roll prosciutto and mushrooms around beef into tight log. Twist plastic wrap ends to seal and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
08 - Roll puff pastry on floured surface to rectangle large enough to fully wrap beef. Unwrap beef from plastic and center on pastry. Fold pastry over beef, trim excess, and seal edges. Place seam-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet.
09 - Brush pastry surface with beaten egg. Decorate with pastry scraps if desired. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
10 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden. Internal beef temperature should reach 120°F for rare or 130°F for medium-rare when measured with instant-read thermometer.
11 - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to retain juices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent all day cooking, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly reasonable.
  • Once you master the technique, you'll have a go-to dish that impresses without making you anxious.
  • That moment when you slice into it and reveal the pink beef wrapped in mushrooms and pastry never gets old.
02 -
  • The mushroom duxelles must be completely cooled before you assemble, or the heat will make the pastry soggy and the prosciutto will shrink unevenly.
  • Don't rush the searing step—that brown crust is flavor, and skipping it will make the beef taste flat no matter how good everything else is.
  • If your pastry tears while wrapping, don't panic; just patch it with a piece of scrap pastry and seal it with egg wash.
03 -
  • Use an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side of the beef (not through the pastry) to check doneness without damaging the crust.
  • If your pastry is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
  • Make Wellington ahead by assembling it completely, wrapping it in plastic, and refrigerating for up to 24 hours—just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking from cold.
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