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The Simplest Beef Wellington Recipe EVER

This Beef Wellington recipe has all the delicious ingredients of traditional Beef Wellington without all the fuss! Try this easy recipe for a special, elegant and romantic meal.

This Beef Wellington recipe has all the delicious ingredients of traditional Beef Wellington without all the fuss! Try this easy recipe for a special, elegant and romantic meal.

Beef Wellington has to be the most elegant and delicious dish around. It’s not difficult to make, either, which makes it a great choice for a romantic meal. I like to simplify things even further with my Beef Wellington recipe; making it as a tart instead of wrapping it in puff pastry makes it a quicker preparation and still looks quite stunning! And, if you’re not a beef lover or simply want to keep things even more simple, Chicken Wellington (prepared the traditional way) is a good alternative.

I typically pair my Beef Wellington recipe with roasted asparagus and some fingerling potatoes, Jacques Pepin style. Both are simple recipes that complement the Beef Wellington perfectly. If you prefer something other than asparagus, I suggest choosing a vegetable side that’s a nice, bright green; the color contrast looks really nice on the plate.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to buy high-quality ingredients for this Beef Wellington recipe. Because there aren’t many components you really can’t “hide” anything, so purchase the best beef, mushrooms and pastry you can find. The good news is that you only need 8 oz of beef and 8 oz of mushrooms so it’s not too costly. I bought our beef from the Home Farm Store in Middleburg, VA and it was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also bought a liver mousse with truffles that worked nicely. An easy dish that tastes every bit as delicious as traditional Beef Wellington and is certain impress your loved one!

This Beef Wellington recipe has all the delicious ingredients of traditional Beef Wellington without all the fuss! Try this easy recipe for a special, elegant and romantic meal.

The Simplest Beef Wellington Recipe EVER

Yield: 0

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces beef tenderloin
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 T canola or vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 sheet thawed frozen puff pastry
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 t fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 ounces truffle, foie gras or liver mousse (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions

  1. Thirty minutes before you begin cooking, take beef out of fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cut puff pastry into four squares. Using a paring knife, score a 1/2-inch border around each square. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or lightly spray your pan) and refrigerate until ready to bake.
  3. Heat heavy stainless steel skillet (anything but non-stick) over high heat. Season both sides of beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 T oil; when it shimmers add beef (make sure to leave space between filets; never crowd your pan). Leave it alone! Don’t poke or prod it – just let it do its thing. If you try to flip it and it’s still stuck to the pan, it’s not ready. Once it releases on its own, flip and brown the other side.
  4. When both sides are seared well and have a nice brown crust, place the skillet into the preheated oven. Cook for approximately 8 minutes for med-rare; 10 minutes for medium. Remove from oven, then remove beef from skillet. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Put puff pastry squares in oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown.
  6. Put the same skillet (be careful – it’s been in the oven and it’s still hot!) back on the stove on high heat. Add another T of oil and a T of butter, and scrape up all the browned bits left from cooking the beef. Add mushrooms, and do the same thing here that you did with the beef: leave them alone and let them get nice and brown. Once the first sides are browned, stir them up and brown the rest of the way. Add the wine and let it cook off for one minute. Mix in garlic and thyme, then remove from heat and put mushrooms in a small bowl; cover to keep warm.
  7. Place the same skillet back on the stove, reduce heat to low and add mousse; stir just until melted. Remove from heat.
  8. Using the back of a spoon, flatten inside portion of each pastry square. Thinly slice beef (against the grain) and arrange slices on top of pastry. Top with mushroom mixture, and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.
  9. Notes: my mousse didn’t melt nicely as described in the original recipe. It would not have looked pretty on top of the mushrooms so I added mine first and just spread it directly onto the pastries.
  10. The reason I used vegetable or canola oil instead of olive oil is because it has a higher smoke point, meaning that you can cook with it at higher temperatures without burning.
Kristy Bernardo
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Susan@LunaCafe

Saturday 7th of February 2015

What a Blast from the Past! I haven't used puff pastry is years but used to wow my students with whole salmon wrapped in puff pastry and numerous other classic dishes that relied on the glamor of PUFF. How fun to revisit this beautiful dish. It would be such a hit here on Valentine's Day. Wonderful post, Kristy!

Kristy Bernardo

Tuesday 10th of February 2015

Puff pastry really is an easy way to wow, isn't it? Thanks, Susan, and I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Blessing

Saturday 7th of February 2015

My hubby is a big lover of beef. I will surprise him with this tantalizing dish soonish. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Kristy Bernardo

Saturday 7th of February 2015

I'm so glad, Blessing!

Barbara | Creative Culinary

Saturday 7th of February 2015

I am going to have to try this Kristi. My recipe takes 3 days. Take a guess how often I make that? This is the perfect alternative; still beautiful AND delicious!

Kristy Bernardo

Saturday 7th of February 2015

WOW, three days - it must be delicious!

Laura

Saturday 7th of February 2015

I LOVE this! The one time I made Beef Wellington it was a nightmare lol! Definitely left me with a desire to not do it again lol.

Kristy Bernardo

Saturday 7th of February 2015

I hear you there, Laura! But I promise this version is MUCH easier!

Jameson Fink

Saturday 7th of February 2015

Have you tried using red wine instead of white for deglazing the mushrooms? I often prefer white wine because it's milder and still does the job of carrying and concentrating flavors.

Kristy Bernardo

Saturday 7th of February 2015

I have used red wine, it really just depends on what I have on hand. I've found that the flavors from the white works better here (which isn't typical since we're cooking with beef, I know) so that's how I wrote the recipe. But any wine will work!

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