It’s no secret that this holiday season will be different than years past. We’re all trying to find ways to simplify our festive feasts but still make them special at the same time. If you’re in search of a delicious show-stopping main that’s a little less time consuming than a big ol’ turkey, then a classic Beef Wellington is the answer. This recipe, created by Chef Mandhoum Hui for Maille uses a sous-vide which results in perfectly cooked meat that’s incredibly juicy and tender.
No-Fuss Sous Vide Beef Wellington By Chef Mandhom Hui
Serves: 4 to 6
Cooking time: 2 hours at 124°F (51°C) for medium-rare beef*
Ingredients:
Beef Tenderloin:
0.75-1 lb. (340-454 g) beef tenderloin, tied
Salt & pepper, to taste
Duxelles:
1 ½ Tbsp. (21 g) unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. (227 g) white mushrooms, finely chopped
¾ tsp. (4.5 g) Kosher salt and pepper
1 tsp. (5 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp. (10.5 g) Maille Old Style Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. (10 mL) Madeira*
Pastry:
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
Small amount of all-purpose flour to roll out pastry
1 egg
Pinch (0.35 g) salt
Method:
Meat:
1. Season the entire steak with Kosher salt and freshly grounded black pepper all the way around.
2. Heat up your cast iron skillet to high heat or until smoking. Do not use a non-stick pan.
3. Sear all sides of your steak for 30 seconds or until it brown, adding butter for flavour. Torch if needed. Continue to cook until all sides are brown, then, remove from skillet.
4. Place steak into plastic pouch for vacuum sealing. Soak it in warm water for 2 hours and no more than 2.5 hours.
Duxelles:
1. In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat until foaming. Once the foaming stops, add shallot. Cook and stir until shallot is soft, about 3 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high and add mushrooms and salt. Cook and stir constantly for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms release their liquid. Drain half of the liquid and continue to cook until mushrooms are starting to get dry.
3. Incorporate Maille Old Style Dijon mustard and stir, add lemon juice and stir, and finish with Madeira.
4. Reduce to medium heat and cook and stir until no liquid remains. Spread out and leave to cool, then refrigerate.
Pastry:
*Pastry has to be made 45 minutes before eating time*
1. Divide puff pastry into 2 equal pieces. Dust a cool work surface with flour and roll out 1 piece until it is 3 inches longer and wider than the beef, this will be the bottom.
2. Transfer to lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
3. Roll out remaining puff pastry until it is 5 inches longer and wider than the beef. Place in same baking sheet in fridge, covered.
4. Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C), or as directed on pastry package.
5. Remove steak from pouch, put on wire rack and let the steak rest. Wait for 10 min, then wipe with paper towel.
6. Take out pastry and duxelles from fridge. Set aside mushroom tops on a plate. While steak is resting, finely chop mushroom duxelles or use a small food
processor.
7. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Spread a small thin layer of duxelles roughly the size of the beef to top of pastry, making sure there is are least enough left to cover the entire top of beef. Place beef on top of spread and repeat process.
8. Cover the entire beef and duxelles with the top piece of pastry. Seal off the edges.
9. Using the back of a steak knife, score or make crossed patterns on top of pastry. Brush the entire pastry with egg wash all over the log.
10. Using a small sharp knife, make 2 or 3 small slits in the top to act as steam vents. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
11. When pastry is golden brown, remove from oven. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into slices and serve on warm plate.
*NOTE: Do not let temperature rise above 54°C (129°F) when cooking.
Madeira can be substituted for Sherry.
Photo and recipe: Chef Mandhom Hui for Maille
