Individual Beef Wellingtons
Kate Itrich-Williams
September 19, 2023
Between the rich and crisp puff pastry, umami-rich mushroom duxelles, and succulent beef tenderloin, beef Wellington is a truly delicious celebratory dish. And while it is, frankly, easy to mess up using traditional cooking methods, the Anova Precision Oven makes preparing perfectly cooked Wellington quick and foolproof.
The recipe below takes a few shortcuts that, while not 100 percent traditional, make for a flavor-packed dish that you can actually pull off in an afternoon. (Or make ahead and bake for tomorrow’s dinner.) The biggest break from tradition comes in using filets instead of a tenderloin roast. These cook relatively quickly and are easier to wrap than the roast. In addition, a slightly more rustic mushroom duxelles does double-duty as a filling ingredient and the base of a sauce. Because the mushrooms are cut into larger pieces, they won’t completely wrap around the filet, but the gains earned from the textural heterogeneity and the time savings are totally worth it.
Lastly, this recipe makes a Wellington with a final doneness that is on the rare side of medium-rare. If you’d like it cooked a little more, follow the time and temperature variations written in the recipe steps. And if you’re concerned about the slight grey band around the filets that comes from searing the meat after the first cook, you can skip that step; keep in mind, though, that the sear develops additional umami flavor for both the meat and the duxelles.
Serves
4
Prep Time
02:35
Cook Time
01:15
5 (7)
2408
Ingredients
2 (8-oz)
beef tenderloin filets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14–oz) package
frozen all-butter puff pastry
5 Tbsp
unsalted butter
1 small
shallot, finely chopped
8 oz
cremini or button mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
½ cup plus 3 Tbsp
dry white wine
4 thin slices
prosciutto
1 Tbsp
Dijon mustard
1 large
egg
1 Tbsp
water, plus more for decorating the Wellingtons
½ cup
unsalted chicken stock or broth
Steps
1. Salt the Meat
Season the filets on all sides with salt. Place on a quarter sheet pan or the baking sheet that came with the Anova Precision Oven. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Begin Thawing the Pastry
While the filets are being salted, transfer the puff pastry to the refrigerator to thaw.
3. Preheat the Oven
Rack
Once the filets have been salted for 1 hour, begin heating the oven. You can adjust the final doneness of the Wellington at this time. For a doneness that is just medium-rare, set the probe, as directed, to 120°F (49°C). For a doneness that is closer to medium, set the probe to 125°F (52°C). For a true medium, set the probe to 130°F (54°C) and the oven to 135°F (57°C).
Sous Vide Mode: On
Steam: 100%
Temp: 130°F
Heat: Rear
4. First Cook
Rack
Using a paper towel, pat off any remaining moisture on the filets and baking sheet. Return to the baking sheet, insert the probe into the center of the thickest filet, then cook the filets in the oven until the probe hits your target temperature, 45 to 55 minutes.
Sous Vide Mode: On
Steam: 100%
Temp: 130°F
Heat: Rear
120°F Probe Target
5. Pat Dry
When the filets hit the target temp, remove the probe and remove them from the oven. Using a paper towel, pat off any moisture from the filets. Turn off the oven for now.
6. Sear the Meat
Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the filets and cook until browned, 30 seconds per side. (This step is optional. See note above regarding searing.) Return to the sheet pan and transfer to the refrigerator. Remove the skillet from the heat but don’t clean it.
7. Make the Duxelles
Place the skillet over medium heat and melt 3 more tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is foamy, add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the wine and simmer, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until it is completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and refrigerate.
8. First Chill
Leave the filets and duxelles in the refrigerator until cool to the touch, about 30 minutes. You can also pause the recipe at this time and let the filets and duxelles chill in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re leaving them in the fridge overnight, cover with plastic wrap. The Wellingtons will be even easier to wrap the next day!
9. Assemble the Wellingtons
Cover your work surface with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place one quarter of the puff pastry in the center of the plastic, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out until it is in a rectangle about twice the width of one of the filets and about ⅛ inch thick. Lay two of the pieces of prosciutto in the center of the puff pastry. Spread 2 Tbsp of the duxelles in the center of the prosciutto, spreading it out to the width of the filet. Brush one of the filets with half of the mustard, then set the filet on top of the duxelles.
10. Wrap the Wellingtons
Use the plastic wrap to stretch the puff pastry up and around the filet, folding over the long sides first, followed by the short sides. Roll the Wellington up in the plastic wrap, then return to the fridge. Repeat with another quarter of the puff pastry, remaining prosciutto, 2 Tbsp more duxelles, remaining mustard, and remaining filet. If desired, cut the remaining puff pastry into decorations for the Wellingtons, rolling it to ⅛ inch thick before cutting. (Reserve the remaining duxelles for the sauce.)
11. Second Chill
Refrigerate the Wellingtons and any decorations for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before cooking. If you have the time, a chill time of at least 12 hours will help prevent juices from leaking from the crust.
12. Preheat the Oven
Rack
When it’s close to dinnertime, heat the oven for the second cook.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: Off
Temp: 400°F
Heat: Rear
13. Make the Egg Wash
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until smooth. Line a clean quarter sheet pan (or the baking sheet that came with the oven) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
14. Decorate the Wellingtons
Unwrap the Wellingtons and place on the prepared sheet pan seam-side down. Brush with a little water, then top with the decorations, if using. Brush the entire exterior surface with the egg wash. Insert the probe into the center of the thickest Wellington.
15. Second Cook
Rack
Place in the oven and bake until the probe reaches its target temperature, about 30 minutes. You may see a little fat and/or juice leak from the Wellingtons towards the end of the cook. Contrary to popular belief, that is okay.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: Off
Temp: 400°F
Heat: Rear
125°F Probe Target
16. Make the Sauce
While the Wellingtons bake, return the remaining duxelles to the skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the mushrooms begin to sizzle, add the remaining ½ cup wine and the ½ cup chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then continue to cook until the sauce is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
17. Rest and Serve
Transfer the Wellingtons to a cutting board and let rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the sauce.
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