Beef Wellington Puff Pastry (Printable)
Tender beef fillet wrapped in mushroom duxelles and prosciutto inside golden puff pastry.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed, weighing approximately 2 to 2.5 lb
02 - Salt, to taste
03 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Mushroom Duxelles
05 - 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 2 shallots, finely minced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - Black pepper, to taste
→ Assembly
12 - 8 to 10 thin slices prosciutto
13 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 lb puff pastry, thawed if frozen
15 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
16 - All-purpose flour, for dusting
→ Optional
17 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F.
02 - Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides for about 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Brush the entire surface with Dijon mustard.
03 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release moisture and the mixture is dry, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
04 - Lay prosciutto slices on a sheet of plastic wrap, overlapping them slightly to form a rectangle sufficient to wrap the beef. Evenly spread the cooled mushroom duxelles over the prosciutto. Place the beef in the center and roll tightly using the plastic wrap to form a log. Secure the ends and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
05 - Lightly dust a surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to encase the beef. Remove the beef roll from the plastic and place it in the center of the pastry. Brush the pastry edges with egg wash, fold over the beef sealing seams and ends. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
06 - Brush the pastry surface with egg wash. Optionally, decorate with pastry scraps and brush those decorations with egg wash as well.
07 - Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the beef center reads 120 to 125°F for medium-rare.
08 - Allow the beef to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It looks impossibly fancy but rewards patience more than skill—your guests won't believe you made it.
- The moment you slice into that golden pastry and the layers reveal themselves is pure kitchen magic.
02 -
- The prosciutto layer is not optional—it prevents the pastry from absorbing moisture from the beef and getting soggy, a lesson learned from a soggy mistake I only made once.
- Cool your mushroom duxelles completely before assembling, or the heat will make your pastry weep before it even hits the oven.
03 -
- An instant-read thermometer is non-negotiable—it's the only way to know if your beef is cooked perfectly without opening it up to check.
- Serve this with a silky red wine sauce or a sharp horseradish cream; the richness of the pastry and beef needs something with backbone to balance it.