Individual beef wellington is the epitome of a classic, gourmet dish. Filet mignon steaks are layered in puff pastry with a mushroom chestnut duxelle and a thin layer of paté. The individual beef wellingtons are perfect for a holiday dinner or for a special night in.
Thanks to Gordon Ramsay's famous beef wellington recipe that inspired me to make a few versions and trials of this classic British recipe. Perfectly cooked beef wellington wrapped in buttery puff pastry, there is nothing better. We served it with classic sides as one does, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans.
What is Mini Beef Wellington?
Let's start with the basics. There are different variations of beef wellington, but the one I am most familiar with is a filet of beef that is layered with other ingredients, such as mushrooms aka mushroom duxelles, prosciutto or paté and then everything is wrapped in pastry and baked.
Usually, beef wellington is made with one beef tenderloin, where the roast is cut into individual servings. However, this recipe has the filet mignon steaks already portioned out into single servings for mini beef wellingtons.
What is duxelle?
You will probably see this word in most beef wellington recipes. Mushroom duxelle is a French recipe that consists of finely chopped mushrooms with herbs and shallots. I also added roasted chestnuts to this mixture (optional, but strongly recommended).
How long to cook individual beef wellington and to what temperature?
There is a two-step cooking process where the filets get a good sear for 2 minutes per side and the middle will still be very rare. Once cooled and layered, the filets are wrapped in puff pastry and then baked in the oven for 25- 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Depending on how you like your steak cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. For a rare middle, 120 degrees Fahrenheit, 130 degrees for medium-rare and 140 degrees for medium.
Can you make individual beef wellington ahead?
Beef wellington is a great make ahead recipe. Follow the recipe up until brushing with egg wash. You can store the prepped wellingtons in the refrigerator with a sheet of plastic wrap over for a day in advance.
To freeze, wrap the prepped individual wellingtons tightly in plastic wrap before freezing. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, place on parchment lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash and bake as instructed.
What sauce goes with beef wellington?
For this wellington recipe, I made a quick creamy horseradish sauce with Dijon mustard. Whisk sour cream, (sometimes I like to add a bit of yogurt too), with horseradish and Dijon mustard.
How to make individual beef wellington
If you can sear a steak, you can make a fantastic beef wellington. I like to think of the recipe, broken up into parts.
- Defrost the frozen puff pastry and thaw. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it's ⅛th of an inch thin and cut into quarters. Each of the puff pastry squares will be what you wrap the filet in.
2. Pat the beef filets well, season with salt and pepper and sear in a hot skillet with a touch of oil. Sear the beef filet for 1-2 minutes per side until there is a good crust. Don't cook the filet too much since it will be cooking in the oven as well.
3. Layer filet with paté, mushroom and chestnut duxelle and spread a layer of Dijon mustard on the steak.
4. To wrap the individual beef wellingtons, bring up the sides of the puff pastry and wrap into a tight package. Turn over and if you have leftover dough, you can cut out a little shape to place on top. Or just use a paring knife and lightly score the top of the pastry for an easy design. Then brush with egg wash, season with coarse salt and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake individual beef wellingtons for 25-30 minutes, or until desired internal temperature is reached and the pastry is golden brown.
A Few More Cooking Tips
- A lot of the steps can be made ahead of time. Make the mushroom duxelle up to a day in advance and sear the steaks ahead of time too.
- If the pastry is getting too dark too quickly, place a sheet of foil over and continue cooking.
- Let the wellingtons rest for at least 10 minutes after cooking and before cutting into.
- Have fun with the filligns, such as adding a slice of prosciutto or speck (similar to prosciutto, but smoked).
Individual Beef Wellington
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
Mushroom and Chestnut Duxelle
- 4 ounces mushrooms any variety, roughly chopped
- 6-7 roasted chestnuts optional, but highly recommended
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves removed
- 1-2 tablespoons sherry wine
Beef Wellingtons
- Flour for rolling out puff pastry
- 1 sheet of puff pastry thawed
- 4 4- ounce filet mignon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons paté chicken or pork paté
- Flakey sea salt for finishing
- 1 egg + water for egg wash
Instructions
- Start with the Mushroom duxelle. Chop mushrooms and chestnuts finely or add to a food processor to finely chop.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter and chopped shallots and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add mushroom mixture and thyme and saute until mushrooms darken in color and liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and pour in sherry. Continue sauteing until alcohol cooks off, for another 1-2 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and once done, remove and set aside to cool.
- Pat the beef filets well with paper towels to blot excess moisture and season with salt and pepper. Bring skillet up to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Sear the beef filet for 1-2 minutes per side until there is a good crust. Don't cook the filet too much since it will be cooking in the oven as well. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Defrost the frozen puff pastry and thaw by either placing it in the refrigerator or at room temperature for an hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it's ⅛th of an inch thin and cut into quarters. Each of the puff pastry squares will be what you wrap the filet in.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of paté in the center of the pastry, then ¼ cup of mushroom duxelle and filet on top. Brush a layer of Dijon mustard onto the steak.
- To wrap the individual beef wellingtons, bring up the sides of the puff pastry and wrap into a tight package. Turn over and if you have leftover dough, you can cut out a little shape to place on top. Or just use a paring knife and lightly score the top of the pastry for an easy design.
- Brush with egg wash, season with coarse salt and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake individual beef wellingtons for 25-30 minutes, or until desired internal temperature is reached and the pastry is golden brown.
Notes
- A lot of the steps can be made ahead of time. Make the mushroom duxelle up to a day in advance and sear the steaks ahead of time too.
- If the pastry is getting too dark too quickly, place a sheet of foil over and continue cooking.
- Let the wellingtons rest for at least 10 minutes after cooking and before cutting into.
- Have fun with the filligns, such as adding a slice of prosciutto or speck (similar to prosciutto, but smoked).
Natalie says
Oh yum! This looks delicious. Perfectly cooked! I'm going to add this recipe to my Christmas list. Thanks!
Emily Flint says
These individual beef wellingtons were just what I was looking for for our date night! I know this will impress my guy!