Video:Beef Wellington

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Transcript:Beef Wellington

Hi! I'm Keith Dunlop and welcome to About.com. Today I am going to show you how to make a dinner entree that will really impress your guests or your family and only you and I will know how truly easy it is to make.

Origins of Beef Wellington

We know that beef wellington was named after the Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Some say it was because it was his favorite dish, while others maintain that the dish resembled his famous boots. Whatever the case, it's not hard to love this delicious dish.

Beef Wellington Ingredients

To make individual beef wellingtons, you'll need:

• 2 1 1/2-inch-thick center-cut filets mignons (about 6 ounces each)
• 1/4 pound of finely chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 pound of pate du fois gras
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small finely chopped onion
• a tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 large egg
• 2 puff pastry sheets(from a 17 1/4-ounce package of frozen puff pastry), thawed

First, preheat oven to 425F.

Prepare the Beef

Wash your filets, then pat them dry and season them with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, then sear your filets for about a minute on each side. We are just getting them started here, so they'll be pretty rare when they come out of the pan. That's okay, because well be cooking them further in the oven later. Cool your fillets completely until they're cold.

Prepare the Beef Wellington Vegetables

In the same skillet, sautee your mushrooms, shallot and garlic over medium heat, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Add about a quarter cup of dry white wine and continue cooking until the liquid has been cooked off. Transfer your mushroom mixture to a bowl and let it cool completely.

Make an Egg Wash

While we wait for everything to cool, we can make an egg wash. This is really simple. Just crack an egg into a bowl add, 2 tablespoons of water, and whisk. I think there might be a bit more time to kill.

Prepare the Individual Beef Wellingtons

Once everything has cooled down sufficiently, we can package up our Wellingtons. On a lightly floured surface unroll a puff pastry sheet and cut into four squares, roughly 7 inches on a side. Now, slice off a thin layer of your fois gras and place it right in the middle of a square -- if it's soft, you can spread it. Next, take around a quarter of your mushroom mixture and spread it evenly on top of the pate. Now, place a filet mignon on top, pressing it down gently.

Wrap your filet just like a gift first, paint a little of your egg wash along the sides of your dough square and then fold it up over the filet. Press on the seam to seal it. Now do the ends – you can just trim off any excess dough and seal those with your wash.

Cook the Beef Wellingtons

When all your Wellingtons are wrapped, place them in a non-stick baking pan, making sure they're not too close to one another. If you want, you can do some cool designs with your dough trimmings on the tops. You need to chill them one last time for at least 1 hour before you cook them.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 425F. Brush the top and sides of each beef Wellington with some egg wash and bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Twenty minutes should cook them to medium rare.

And that's it. Let them rest for 5 minutes out of the oven they're ready to serve.

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