So in this video I am attempting to take on Gordon Ramsay’s beef wellington recipe. There were a few different ones to choose from to attempt, but I wanted to go for the full hog so picked the one on his official website that has an optional sauce alongside it. For reference the original recipe can be found here https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/beef-wellington/
Now then, as this is not my recipe i’m just going to list the ingredients below that I used (the original calls for 2 fillets, I used one larger one as you will see) and i’ll just try to summarise it in my own words. First up it was super delicious! Be sure to get a decent beef fillet!
So the first step was to wrap the beef fillet in a triple layer of cling film to set its shape and chill overnight. I did not do this, hence my wonky looking fillet, but I felt it added character! But shaping it and chilling is probably critical for a good shape.
Once chilled, remove the cling film from the beef and sear the beef fillets in a frying pan with a little olive oil for 30 seconds or so until browned all over and rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. In retrospect I think I could have browned mine a litle longer but was concerned I may have started cooking the middle!
Chop up the mushrooms and fry in the same pan for the fillet, with a little olive oil also added in the thyme leaves and salt/pepper. Really cook the mushrooms down for like 20 minutes to get rid of any moisture and you are left with a paste like texture.
Lay a large sheet of cling film on a work surface and place 8 slices of Parma ham in the middle.. the original recipe calls for 4 but i’m using one larger fillet here… overlap the parma ham a little bit which effectively makes a carpet for the fillet to sit on. Spread the mushroom mix over the parma ham.
Season the beef fillet, and place it on top of the ham carpet. Using the cling film, roll the ham over the beef, and tie the ends with the cling film to maintain an even log shape (yours should look better than mine!). Stick in the fridge for 30 mins.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash (mixed with water and salt, i’ve never done that before!). Take the cling film off of the beef, then wrap the pastry around the fillet. Cut off any excess pastry and tuck in the edges, brush all over with the egg wash. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes, lots of chilling going on eh!?
You can now make the sauce which I also chose to do, which was insanely rich!! Heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the beef off cuts (I could not get trimmings so used actual fillet!!) for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in the shallots and the handful of peppercorns (I couldn’t be bothered to count out 12), bay and thyme and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn golden brown.
Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a few minutes until almost evaporated. Then add the wine and boil until almost completely reduced on a high heat. You then add the stock, in the video I got impatient and added it early so they all reduced down together. Simmer it all off which took me a good 40 minutes until you have just a bit of fluid left – this is the sauce!
Drain through a sieve and it’s ready to serve alongside.
When you are ready to cook the beef wellington, score the pastry lightly (check out the image on Gordon’s website) to match it, it’s cool! …. and brush with the egg wash again, then bake at 200°C/Gas 6 for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serve with the sauce!
Amazing! Let me know any other recipes you’d like to see me tackle!