To say that I am not a fan of Chef Ramsay would be a lie. Also, to say that I have not watched every episode of Hell's Kitchen since season 2, or every episode of Masterchef, or that I hate The F Word and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, or that I can't anticipate every time he is going to call someone a "stupid donkey!" is a big fat lie! I love Gordon Ramsay and I can't count the number of times I've heard him yell "Two beef wellington!" or "the Wellington's @#%*ing rawwwww!" So last week I decided to try my hand at the angry man's wellington, and it wasn't very difficult to make. I aimed for medium-rare, but even though my thermometer temp said it should have been perfect, this did come out a little more rare than I'd like, so if Ramsay had been in my kitchen he may have screamed at me that "It's RAWWWWWW!" But all in all it was a lot of fun to make and I finally learned how to make this "mystery meat."
This recipe will almost be a tutorial since, while the cooking is not difficult, there is a little technique in wrapping your wellington.
Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington
- 1 lb of prime beef tenderloin filet (I had about 1.33 pounds)
- Salt and pepper
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb mushrooms (I used large flat portobello caps, though any flat-cap mushroom will do: shitaki, porcini, etc.)
- 4 thin slices of prosciutto or parma ham (I used 6 shorter slices of prosciutto)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 package puff pastry
- 2-3 egg yolks beaten (my filet was a little large so I ended up using 3)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large skillet on high heat. Season your filet with the salt and pepper very generously. Sear the fillet on all sides until a nice brown crust forms, try not to move the filet between turns. (I did not get a nice sear on my filet as my pan was not hot enough and I had a little too much oil in the pan. Avoid to much oil so that you don't boil it rather than sear. It should be much "crispier" than this.)
2. Remove from pan and let cool. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the mushrooms and transfer to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and puree until finely chopped but not actually "pureed." In another skillet, saute the mushroom mixture (duxelles) on med-high heat .(Don't add anything, no oil, no butter. In this step you are cooking off the moisture from the mushrooms. You will notice the water bubble out and eventually the duxelles will become a dry, "velvety" texture. Once the water boils off, set aside to cool.
4. Now brush the mustard all over the filet, coating all sides. Place the filet in the middle of your wrap and roll the prosciutto over the filet, using the plastic to do so tightly. Wrap it into a nice log shape and twist the ends of the plastic to secure. (Tip: if you hold the plastic ends in each hand, alternate twisting each hand can help keep it tight. Almost as if you are rolling up a roll of wrapping paper, if that makes sense.) Refrigerate this for about 20-25 minutes.
5. On a floured surface, roll out your puff pastry. You may only need one pre-made sheet if you roll it out a bit. I used 2 since mine was 1.33 lbs and because I wanted to make sure I covered it on my first try. I pinched the 2 together and rolled it out a bit thinner than it came. Place your wrapped filet in the center, and please...take the plastic wrap off. I did this by gently untwisting the ends and pulling the prosciutto ends out and
re-tucking them if needed. If you try and just
"unroll" the plastic, the whole thing may unroll.
6. Beat the eggs, and brush the edges of the pastry with them, don't skimp. Wrap the pastry around the filet and cut off excess dough with a sharp knife. Try to overlap the dough as little as possible. The thicker it is, the more it will prevent cooking. Fold the ends over and place the wellington seam side down. Brush all over with more egg and chill for about 10 minutes. Place in a baking pan and score the top with a knife, making sure not to cut all the way through. Sprinkle with some coarse salt and bake for 25-35 minutes. Internal temperature should read 125-130 degrees on an instant read thermometer for medium rare. Mine read 128 degrees, next time I might aim for closer to 130-132, but this may vary from thermometer to thermometer. 7. When the wellington is done, let it rest about 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Slice into good 1 inch to 1.5 inch slices and enjoy. That prime tenderloin filet melts in your mouth! (Sorry for the really crappy picture.)
Leftover Tip! (if you have any): I had a lot of left-overs and wasn't confident I could reheat it for another meal, so I removed the extra meat, scraped off any excess duxellesPico de Gallo!
Photos by The Chocolate Cookie
0 comments:
Post a Comment