Beef Wellington a classic dish for a special occasion. Tender beef tenderloin is smothered in Dijon mustard, mushroom, shallot and proscuitto before being baked in a delicate puff pastry.
Using a large food processor, pulse together the mushrooms, shallot and garlic until they form a thick paste.
Heat the butter a medium skillet, add the mushroom mixture and saute over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until it reduces and is very dry. The moisture will evaporate and it will reduce greatly.
Add the thyme, salt and pepper, mixing well. Then add the cream. This should make a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Tenderloin:
Using butcher's twine, tie the tenderloin in multiple places to hold its shape and ensure even cooking. Rub with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet or frying pan to smoking point, add a small amount of neutral oil. If you are using well seasoned cast iron, you won't need the oil. Sear on all sides until browned, approximately 4 minutes, 1 minute on each side. Don't forget the ends!
Place a large piece of plastic wrap out on a cutting board with the bottom edges at the base of the cutting board. Lay out the puff pastry, overlapping the edges of the two just slightly, pinch together. Shingle the prosciutto in a thin layer. Spread the Dijon mustard over the prosciutto, followed by the mushroom mixture, leaving 1 inch around all of the edges. Baste the eggs with egg wash.
Cut butchers twine, discard and then blot the tenderloin with paper towels to get any residual moisture off. Place the tenderloin at the bottom of the prosciutto wrap and tightly roll, pinch together the ends and cutting off any excess puff pastry. Try to avoid too much overlapping because this part won't cook evenly. Tuck in the ends, pinching together firmly. Wrap again with plastic wrap so that it holds its shape in a nice taunt torpedo. Any leftover pastry can be saved to use to embellish the top.
Refrigerate the tenderloin for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the tenderloin from the plastic wrap and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
If you are using leftover puff pastry to embellish, do this now and adhere with egg wash. Otherwise, make small slits in the pastry using a paring knife to make it look pretty.
Bake for 30 minutes or until puff pastry is a golden brown. If the top is cooking too fast you can gently place a leaf of aluminum foil over the tenderloin to allow the base to finish cooking.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into thick slices using a serrated knife. Do not skip this step! Meanwhile, prepare brown gravy for serving, if desired.
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