What is Beef Wellington?
Beef Wellington is a dish of beef fillet coated with mushroom duxelles and often ham or pate, wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It is a luxurious dish often served at special occasions.
The dish is popularly said to be named after the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, but there is no clear evidence for this.
Recipes for beef baked in pastry existed long before, and the name Beef Wellington became common in the 20th century.
Making Beef Wellington
The beef is first seared, then coated with duxelles, a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. It is wrapped in prosciutto or ham and then in puff pastry.
Cooking it perfectly is challenging, as the beef should be pink inside while the pastry is crisp and golden.
Chef Gordon Ramsay helped make Beef Wellington famous on television, where it is often used as a challenge for contestants.
Beef Wellington is popular for Christmas dinner and celebrations. Vegetarian versions use mushrooms or vegetables instead of beef.
The pastry is often decorated with a lattice pattern.