Beef Fillet Wellington with Prosciutto and Spinach
- Savory
- No rush
- Oven
A Christmas centrepiece: golden puff pastry wrapped around seared beef fillet, a layer of mustard, prosciutto and wilted spinach. Served in thick slices, it is rich, savoury and high in protein.
- Total
- 85 min
- Prep 30 · Cook 45 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
You'll practice: Searing · Resting meat
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C.
~12 min
-
Pat the beef fillet dry, rub it with the olive oil, salt and black pepper, and set it on a baking tray. Roast for 12 minutes, until browned on the outside but still rare inside.
~12 min
A hot, dry surface browns through the Maillard reaction, building flavour, while the short time keeps the centre rare so it stays juicy.
Searing Get the oven and tray hot and dry the beef first; a damp surface steams instead of browning. Pull it out while the centre is still rare, as it keeps cooking as it rests.
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While step 2 cooks
While the beef roasts, bring 500 ml water to a boil, put the spinach in a colander and pour the boiling water over it to wilt it, then press out as much liquid as you can with the back of a spoon. Line a large sheet of cling film with the prosciutto slices, overlapping them into a rectangle about 30 cm by 20 cm, and spread the wilted spinach over the top in an even layer.
~8 min
Squeezing out the spinach water stops it steaming the pastry from inside, which would make the base soggy instead of crisp.
-
Lift the beef onto a board and brush it all over with the mustard. Set it on the spinach layer, then use the cling film to roll the prosciutto and spinach tightly around the beef. Twist the ends and chill for 10 minutes.
~10 min
Chilling firms the butter in the pastry and sets the roll's shape, so it holds together and puffs cleanly in the oven.
Chill the wrapped beef for the full 10 minutes: cold pastry holds its shape and puffs properly in the oven.
-
Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface to a rectangle about 35 cm by 25 cm. Unwrap the beef, set it in the middle of the pastry and fold the pastry over, pressing the seams closed. Trim any excess, set the parcel seam side down on the baking tray and cut two small vents in the top.
~10 min
Vents let steam escape so the pastry crisps rather than turning soggy, and a seam-side-down parcel keeps the join hidden and sealed.
-
Beat the egg with a fork and brush it over the pastry. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and puffed and a meat thermometer in the centre reads 52°C for medium rare.
~30 min
The egg wash browns and glazes the crust, and the thermometer tells you the centre is done without cutting into the pastry.
If the pastry starts browning too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top for the last 10 minutes.
-
Rest the Wellington for 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife into thick slices.
~10 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute through the meat so they stay in the slices instead of running out onto the board.
Resting meat Let the Wellington sit for the full 10 minutes before slicing; cutting early lets the juices flood out and leaves the meat dry.
