Ingredients

• For the Mushroom Duxelles

• 15oz - 400g White button mushrooms
• ½ cup dried porcicni mushrooms
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 Shallots
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Salt

• For the Beef Wellington

• 1 x 600g centre cut piece of beef tenderloin (eye fillet)
• 8-10 very thin slices of Italian Prosciutto
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (large enough to wrap around beef)
• 1 egg (yolk)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper (some crystal salt)
• 3 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other vegetable oil)

Steps

• Step 1

  For the Duxelles, place the button mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, peeled cut shallots, minced garlic cloves and thyme in a food processor. (or chop everything finely). Blitz for approx 20 seconds, you want it fine but still with some coarse texture, not a puree.

• Step 2

  Place Duxelles mixture in a dry pan on high heat, add the red wine and season with a little salt. Once it boils, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook until all the moisture has evaporated. Keep stirring as often as you can. It’s ready when it just starts to stick on the bottom. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

• Step 3

  Season your beef with salt and pepper. Roll the beef into your board so the salt and pepper adhere to the meat. Remember to season the ends too. Place in a hot pan with the grapeseed oil. Oil needs to be hot, it should sizzle the moment you add it. You want to sear the beef evenly, not cook it. This should only take a minute or two. Keep rolling it and ensure the ends are also seared. Remove from pan and set aside on a cold plate.

• Step 4

  Place some cling film on your bench, approx two feet long and arrange the prosciutto slices by overlapping each one slightly. You don’t want any gaps at all so the meat is sealed. If there’s holes or tares, just cut up extra bits and seal the gaps.

• Step 5

  Once the duxelles has totally cooled down, place in the centre of the prosciutto and spread with a spatula to a rough shape of a rectangle (see video) the width of the meat and the length should be long enough so it wraps around the beef. Measure first so you get it right.

• Step 6

  Brush the mustard all around the beef (not the ends) and position the beef at the top part of your laid out duxelles. Lift the plastic cling film from the same end and start to gently roll the meat nice and tightly. Once rolled, tighten the plastic by twisting each end. If the plastic is too short, wrap in foil then tighten the foil by twisting each end. The beef should have a nice cylindrical shape. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.

• Step 7

  Scatter a little flour over your work bench and lay out your puff pastry sheet. Remove the plastic or foil from the beef and place the beef at the top of the pastry, roll until completely wrapped. Trim off any excess. Pinch the ends to seal, twist, trim and tuck any excess underneath.

• Step 8

  Separate and egg and brush egg yolk over pastry. As an option you can score the pastry with a knife or a fork to create a pattern. Sprinkle some flaky salt from up high for an even spread. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet pan and bake for 35 min at 400°F – 200°C for medium rare. Add or subtract 5 minutes if you prefer more or less cooked.

• Step 9

  Leave to rest 20 minutes uncovered.

• Step 10

  Trip off the ends (taste) and cut the rest in four even slices using a serrated edge knife.

Little Tips

You can make it the day before, keep it wrapped in the refrigerator and simply cook it, allow 50 minutes before serving.