Beef Wellington: How to Make Gordon Ramsey’s Perfect Recipe

The idea of preparing beef Wellington had never crossed my mind until recently. The thought of achieving that beautifully cooked beef, enveloped in a savory combination of mushroom and Parma ham, all encased in a delicate puff pastry, seemed like quite a daunting task. However, my perspective changed when I stumbled upon a piece of Australian Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin (Fillet) that was specifically recommended for beef Wellington. Intrigued, I decided to take on the challenge. With the fillet and some puff pastry in hand, armed with Gordon Ramsay’s recipe, I felt ready to embark on this culinary adventure.

Ingredients:

• 400g beef fillets
• olive oil, for frying
• 250g mixture of wild mushrooms
• 1 thyme spring, leaves only
• 250g puff pastry
• 4 slices of Parma ham
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Wrap the piece of beef tightly with cling film to set its shape, then chill overnight. (This step is super important. I did not wrap mine overnight and it was a bit harder to shape afterwards)
2. Remove the cling film. Quickly sear the beef fillet in a hot pan with a little bit of olive oil for 30-60 seconds until browned all over and rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
3. Finely chop the mushrooms and fry in a hot pan with a little olive oil, thyme leaves and some seasoning. When the mushrooms begin to release their juices, continue to cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes until all excess moisture has evaporated. When the moisture has evaporated, you will have a mushroom paste known as a duxelle). Remove the duxelle from the pan and leave to cool.
4. Depending on the puff pastry you use (I used the pre-rolled pastry so there’s no need for this step), you may need to roll out your puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to wrap the beef fillet. Chill in the refrigerator.
5. Lay a sheet of cling film on a surface large enough to fit 4 slices of Parma ham. Lay the Parma ham with a slight overlap on the cling film. Spread the duxelle evenly over the ham.

1. Season the beef fillets with salt and pepper and place them on top of the mushroom-covered ham. Using the cling film, roll the Parma ham over the beef, then roll and tie the cling film to get an even thick log. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the cling film from the beef and wrap the pastry around the ham-wrapped fillet. Trim any excess pastry and brush egg wash all over. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. When you are ready to cook the beef wellington, you can either score the beef wellington or cut a lattice pastry to place on top. Brush with egg wash again and bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked.
4. Rest for 10 minutes before carving into your beef wellington!

• After successfully wrapping the beef, I found myself with some leftover puff pastry. Instead of letting it go to waste, I decided to get creative and manually cut strips to fashion a lattice pastry effect. Alternatively, if you happen to have a lattice cutter on hand, you can use that to effortlessly create the lattice pattern.
• In terms of flavor, I personally felt that the beef Wellington stood on its own and didn’t require the addition of a red wine sauce. However, for those who prefer their beef Wellington accompanied by a sauce, you can certainly follow Gordon Ramsay’s red wine sauce recipe to enhance the overall experience.

Leave me a comment on how your beef wellington turned out. For more recipes, please visit my food & recipe page here.