Wellington fillet: the original recipe for preparing the classic fillet in a crust

the Beef Wellington, also known as tenderloin crust, is a rich and spectacular second, perfect for the holidays and lunches for special occasions. It is a complex and elaborate preparation which takes time and patience; at the same time, it will guarantee you an efficient presentation and a tender and succulent result. The secret of its success lies precisely in the choice of this cut, particularly fine, soft and lean, and in the double cooking meat: it is first browned in a pan, then covered with mustard, a mushroom sauce and raw ham, then wrapped in a chest of shortcrust pastry: the result will be fragrant on the outside and pink on the outside. heart.

The version we offer is made with broken pasta homemade, which you can also replace with a ready-made pastry (or to prepare with our homemade version), and includes a accompanying sauce al brachetto, for a pleasantly aromatic finish. To make sure the interior cooking of the meat is to your liking, you can use a thermometer special: at 50 ° C in the middle, the meat is rare, at 60 ° C, it is pink, while at 70 ° C, it is well done. If you don’t have one, you can prick the fillet: if the liquid coming out is red, the meat is rare; if it is pink, it is medium cooking, if it is colorless, it means that it is well done.

Of ancient English origin, Wellington’s fillet is a recipe famous around the world thanks to the British chef Gordon ramsay; the name is a tribute to Arthur Wellesley, who became Duke of Wellington in 1815: from history it would seem that the Duke was a man of difficult tastes in the kitchen, until he tasted this delicious fillet in a crust which will soon become his favorite dish.

Usually in the kitchen the fillet is divided into Three parties: head, heart and tail. The head and tail are the parts used for pan cooking, while for this preparation it is better to use the central part which, thanks to its compact size, allows for a more uniform and very gentle cooking. Discover how to prepare this succulent dish by following all of its preparation steps and enjoy it accompanied by baked potatoes and a side dish of seasonal vegetables.

How to prepare Wellington fillet

Cut the cold butter from the refrigerator and cut it into cubes (1).

Collect it in the cup of a food processor along with the flour, salt and water, which is also cold (2).

Mix for the time needed to mix the ingredients. Then transfer the mixture to a work surface and compact it (3).

Form a loaf, wrap it in cling film (4) and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Take the whole piece of meat, then salt and pepper its surface (5).

Pour a drizzle of oil, a sprig of rosemary and a clove of unpeeled garlic in a pan (6). Turn on the heat and let it heat up.

Arrange the fillet and brown it on all sides (7). Please note: it is in this phase that you will determine the level of cooking of the meat.

Remove the meat and let it rest so that the juice runs out. Meanwhile, remove the rosemary and garlic from the pan and deglaze the cooking juices: add 1/2 glass of water (8), salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

Add the starch and mix with a whisk until the mixture binds (9).

Filter the sauce through a sieve to remove any lumps (10). Set aside.

Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth, remove the earthy part of the stalk and slice them (11).

Brown them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes (12).

When the cooking juices are dry enough, transfer the mushrooms to a food processor and mix them with a sprig of parsley (13), season with salt and pepper.

Take the meat again, eliminate its liquid released during the rest and cover it with a veil of mustard (14).

Spread the ham slices side by side, overlapping them slightly (15).

Place the fillet in the center of the ham and cover it completely with chopped mushrooms (16).

Completely wrap the meat with the ham (17) and set aside.

Take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out using a rolling pin (18), until you get a sheet a few millimeters thick.

Cut a regular rectangle out of the dough and use it to completely cover the meat (19).

Using a sharp knife with a smooth blade, cut out the lines forming the dough, then the diamonds (20).

Brush the surface evenly with the yolk (21).

Bake the fillet in a crust in a static oven preheated to 180 ° C for about 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and let stand for a few minutes (22).

Using a spatula, gently lift the crusted fillet and transfer it to a serving dish (23).

Serve the fillet hot, sliced ​​with the brachetto sauce (24).

Advice

To prevent the outer crust from softening too much, do not prepare the fillet too early: you can wrap it in mushrooms and raw ham, then leave it in the refrigerator covered with cling film. Just before cooking, cover it with the broken.

You can combine Wellington filet with a side dish of vegetables or baked potatoes.

storage

To appreciate it in all its scent, we advise you to consume the Wellington filet at this time; in case there is any left over, you can store it in the refrigerator, in a special airtight container, for 2-3 days.