Individual Beef Wellingtons

Beef Wellington is a luxury steak meal that can be made at home. The puff pastry makes an amazing presentation, the ingredients taste fresh and earthy, and the dipping sauce is light and aromatic.

While Chef Gordon Ramsay did not create the Beef Wellington, he did make it famous. My recipe is a smaller, individual meal for two. I make these Individual Beef Wellingtons for my hubby and I on special occasions.

The Individual Beef Wellingtons are made with 2 filet Mignons (tenderloin steaks, which is kind of pricy but you can’t skimp on the main ingredient) brushed with mustard, wrapped in a crepe, lined with prosciutto and mushrooms, then encased in puff pastry, with a side red wine dipping sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about this meal. There are a few steps you can do the day before or early.

First thing to do is defrost 1 sheet if frozen puff pastry in the fridge the day before or on the counter the day of making this recipe.

Make the crepe early, the day before, or even buy it pre-made at the store. To make it, beat 1 egg, add 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of half & half (I use fat free), chopped soft herbs (parsley or chives), chopped thyme, and a dash of salt. This is a very loose pancake mix. Let that rest in the fridge for about 1/2 hour. Take a crepe pan (or a small round frying pan) and heat it on medium. Spray it with cooking spray, and place 1/4 cup of the crepe mix into the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion so the crepe mix fully covers the bottom of the pan all the way to the edge. Cook for about 30 seconds until you can slide a flat spatula under the crepe and carefully flip it. If you’re daring, you can flip it with just the pan. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Both sides should have little to no brown color. Slide the crepe onto a dish and cover it with parchment paper, and repeat for the 2nd crepe. Place the 2nd crepe on the parchment paper over the 1st crepe. Place the crepes in the fridge to cool.

Note: Most recipes use chives, but I never have that in the house and I always have parsley, so I use parsley. You can experiment with all kinds of soft fresh herbs, whatever you have on hand. I would not use a hard herb like rosemary for the crepes.

Shape the steaks the day before or early. Take a long sheet of plastic wrap and place the steaks on their side at one end of the plastic wrap. Roll them into the plastic wrap, towards the end, into a round shape. Wrap twine around the plastic sides. Put the steaks in the fridge up to overnight.

When the steak’s round shapes are set, remove the twine and plastic wrap and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks. Heat oil in a small pan and sear the steaks for 1 minute per side, on all sides. Use the sides of the pan to help you sear the round edge. Why a small pan? You’ll use this pan for the mushrooms, then for the wine sauce. When the steak are seared, move them to a plate and (while still hot) brush Dijon mustard over the entire steak, then move them to the fridge to chill.

Prepare the mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms with a slightly damp paper towel. Then chop them up (even the stems if they are pliable and not hard) and sauté them in the same small pan as the steaks in a little oil until all the moisture is gone, about 10 minutes. You can cook these in batches if needed. After the mushrooms are cooked, cool them and chop them up into very small pieces (do this last step after they are cooked or they can overcook in the pan).

When everything is cooled, assemble the steak and crepe. Place 3 sheets of plastic wrap on the counter, lay 1 crepe, then 2 prosciuttos (over lapping them) on top of the crepe. Top that with a scoop of the mushrooms. Place 1 steak on top of the mushrooms. Cut the sides of the crepe to cover the steak from top to bottom. Using the plastic wrap, form the crepe around the steak tightly. Use a twist tie to secure it and place it in the fridge for an hour.

After an hour, place another 3 sheets of plastic wrap on the counter. Place 1/2 of the sheet of defrosted puff pastry on top and roll it out. Take the steaks from the fridge, remove and discard that plastic wrap and place the crepe/steak on the puff pastry. Using the new plastic wrap, surround the steak with the pastry, using the plastic wrap to help you push the pastry up and over the steak until the edges melt together. Tie a twist tie to secure the plastic wrap, and put it back in the fridge for an hour to set.

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the Wellingtons on the parchment paper seam side down. Scramble 1 egg yoke and brush the yoke over the puff pastry. Then, using a butter knife, cut slits into the pastry, do not cut all the way through.

Bake for 20 minutes, then take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the Wellingtons are baking, make the red wine dipping sauce. In the same pan you used for the steaks and mushrooms, heat oil and add thinly sliced onions to the pan with a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes, then add wine and stock (beef, chicken or veggie stock). Scrape up all the bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a strong simmer and reduce by half.

Serve. Cut the Beef Wellington in half and serve the red wine dipping sauce in a small side bowl.

To reheat, preheat the oven to to 250. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Cut the leftovers into 1 inch slices and place them on the parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. You are just heating it, not cooking it. And reheat the dipping sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop.

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Ingredients:

PASTRY

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted, divided in half
• 1 egg yoke

CREPE

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup half & half (fat free or full fat)
• 2 tablespoons chopped soft herbs (parsley or chives)
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• Dash of salt

CREPE FILLING

• 2 filet mignons
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 slices prosciutto
• Handful button mushrooms
• Salt and pepper

WINE DIPPING SAUCE

• 1 small onion or shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups stock (beef, chicken or veggie stock)
• Salt and pepper

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Prep time 3 hours up to overnight
Bake time 20 mins
Rest time 5-10 mins

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Instructions:

DAY BEFORE OR EARLY

• Defrost 1 sheet if frozen puff pastry in the fridge.
• Make the crepe…..
• Beat 1 egg.
• Mix in 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of half & half, chopped parsley, chopped thyme, and a dash of salt.
• Let that rest in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
• Take a crepe pan (or a small round frying pan) and heat it on medium.
• Spray it with cooking spray.
• Place 1/4 cup of the crepe mix into the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion so the crepe mix fully covers the bottom of the pan all the way to the edge.
• Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip it.
• Cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
• NOTE: Both sides should have little to no brown color.
• Slide the crepe onto a dish and cover it with parchment paper.
• Repeat for the 2nd crepe. Place the 2nd crepe on the parchment paper over the 1st crepe.
• Place the crepes in the fridge to cool for at least an hour.

PREPARE THE STEAKS

• Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter
• Place the steaks on their side at one end of the plastic wrap.
• Roll them into the plastic wrap, towards the end, into a round shape.
• Wrap twine around the plastic sides.
• Put the steaks back in the fridge for an hour up to overnight.

PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS

• Clean the mushrooms with a slightly damp paper towel.
• Chop them up (even the stems if they are pliable and not hard)
• Add a little oil to a pan and sauté the mushrooms until all the moisture is gone, about 10 minutes.
• NOTE: You can cook these in batches if needed.
• Cool the mushrooms and chop them up into very small pieces (do this last step after they are cooked or they can overcook in the pan).

PREPARE THE WELLINGTONS

• Remove round steaks from the fridge.
• Remove the twine and plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.
• Heat a small pan with a little oil and sear the steaks for 1 minute per side, on all sides.
• NOTE: Use the sides of the pan to help you sear the round edge.
• Move them to a plate and (while still hot) brush Dijon mustard over the entire steak.
• Move them to the fridge to chill.

• When the steaks are cooled, assemble the meat and crepe.
• Place 3 sheets of plastic wrap on the counter.
• Lay 1 crepe, then 2 prosciuttos (over lapping them) on top of the crepe.
• Top that with a scoop of the mushrooms.
• Place 1 steak on top of the mushrooms.
• Cut the sides of the crepe to cover the steak from top to bottom.
• Using the plastic wrap, form the crepe around the steak tightly. Use a twist tie to secure.
• Repeat for the 2nd steak.
• Place both in the fridge for an hour.

• After an hour, place another 3 sheets of plastic wrap on the counter.
• Place 1/2 of the sheet of defrosted puff pastry on top and roll it out.
• Take the steaks from the fridge, remove and discard that plastic wrap.
• Place 1 of the crepe/steak on the puff pastry.
• Using the new plastic wrap, surround the steak with the pastry, using the plastic wrap to help you push the pastry up and over the steak until the edge melts together.
• Tie a twist tie to secure the plastic wrap.
• Repeat for the 2nd pastry/crepe steak.
• Put then back in the fridge for an hour to set.

BAKE THE WELLINGTONS AND PREPARE WINE DIPPING SAUCE

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the Wellingtons on the paper seam side down.
• Scramble 1 egg yoke and brush the yoke over the puff pastry.
• Then, using a butter knife, cut slits into the pastry, do not cut all the way through.
• Bake for 20 minutes
• While the Wellingtons are baking, make the red wine dipping sauce.
• Slice an onion into thin slices.
• In the same pan you used to sear the steaks and mushrooms, heat a little oil.
• Add thinly sliced onions to the pan with a pinch of salt.
• Sauté for a few minutes.
• Add wine and stock (beef, chicken or veggie stock).
• Scrape up all the bits at the bottom of the pan.
• Bring to a strong simmer and reduce by half.

• Take the Wellingtons out of the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cut the Wellingtons in half and place the wine dipping sauce on the side

Enjoy