INDIVIDUAL
BEEF WELLINGTONS
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Beef Wellington is a dish that has “class” written all over it. When I am trying to impress my friends with a more upscale dinner, this is the first dish that I turn to—a seared filet of beef layered with cooked minced mushrooms (duxelles) and pâté, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. While some people use an entire beef tenderloin, I opt for individual beef Wellingtons so that each guest gets an ample amount of buttery pastry. I like to serve this by itself, after My House Salad (here).
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
10 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
BORDELAISE SAUCE
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
¼ cup coarsely chopped white or yellow onion
2 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
½ cup hearty red wine, such as Shiraz
1 cup store-bought demi-glace (see Chef Talk, here)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FILETS AND PASTRY
6 filet mignon steaks, each about 3 ounces and 1 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1¼ pounds thawed frozen puff pastry (about 1½ boxes, see Note, here)
All-purpose flour, for rolling the dough
6 ounces liver mousse pâté, preferably foie gras, as needed
1 large egg, beaten well
Truffle oil, for serving
Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish
Flaky sea salt, preferably Maldon, for serving
1. To make the duxelles: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil, followed by the mushrooms, shallot, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the juices are evaporated and the mushrooms are deeply browned around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not a paste. (The duxelles can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
2. To start the sauce: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add the demi-glace and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a brisk simmer until reduced by about one-fourth, about 10 minutes. Strain through a wire sieve into a small bowl and discard the solids. Keep the cubed butter cold while you prepare the beef and pastry. (The sauce base can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
3. To prepare the beef filets and pastry wrap: Heat a large skillet, preferably a ridged grilling skillet, over medium-high heat. Season the filets with salt and pepper. In batches without crowding, add the filets to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides but still very rare, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer to a wire cake rack and let cool completely.
4. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to remove its creases. Using a pizza wheel or large knife, cut the pastry into six 6-inch squares. Spoon equal amounts of the pâté onto the center of each pastry square, making the pâté about as wide as each seared filet. Top each with equal amounts of the cooled duxelles, followed by a filet. Brush the border of each square lightly with beaten egg. Bring the pastry corners up to meet in the center, and press the seams closed to enclose the filet. Place the packets seam side down on the baking sheet, and pat each into a rough round shape. Loosely cover the pastry packets with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
6. Brush the tops and sides of the packets with some of the egg wash. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer each beef Wellington to a plate.
7. To finish the sauce: Quickly bring the sauce base to a boil in the saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat. One cube at a time, whisk the butter into the warm sauce base to enrich and lightly thicken it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce around each beef Wellington and drizzle with the truffle oil. Add a thyme sprig and a sprinkle of salt to each, and serve immediately.
Note: All-butter frozen puff pastry, sold at specialty markets, is preferable to the shortening-based supermarket variety. You will need about 1½ (14-ounce) boxes for the Wellingtons, so plan another use for the remaining puff pastry.