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Boeuf en Croute

Photo: Boeuf en Croute

TOTAL TIME: 2 hr 25 min
Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
 
YIELD: 6 servings
LEVEL: Intermediate

ingredients

  • 1 1/3 pounds beef tenderloin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 pound mushrooms, very finely chopped
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup Madeira
  • 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
  • Handful chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 (1 pound) packages puff pastry or frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water
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Directions

Season the beef with salt, and pepper. Melt a tablespoon of butter with a drizzle of the olive oil in a saute pan until hot, then sear the beef on all sides. Remove from the pan to a board, and let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

In the same pan as the beef, prepare the mushroom duxelles: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and fry the shallots until translucent. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook until very tender. Pour over the Madeira, and bring to a boil, and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the creme fraiche and cook down to a very thick paste. Season the mixture with salt, and pepper. Stir through the chopped parsley.

Roll out one block of pastry to a rectangle large enough to fit the meat with a roomy border. Place on a baking sheet. Remove the fillet from the refrigerator, and unwrap. Spoon the mushroom mixture into the center of the pastry and set the meat on top. Roll out the second sheet to fit over the whole fillet generously. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Brush the margins of the bottom pastry with egg wash, then drape the second sheet over, pressing to seal well. Trim the edge to a 1-inch border. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush the whole surface of the pastry with egg wash and make two slits in the top with a knife to allow steam to escape. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and continue to bake 20 minutes, depending on how well you like your meat done. Remove from the oven and let stand about 10 minutes before serving in slices.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 10 reviews

  • on January 05, 2013

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    I have used this recipe twice and am now making it for my grandsons. This is the easiest and by far the best recipe I have found for Beef Wellington.
    Thanks so much Ms. Calder for making it so easy.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on January 24, 2012

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    My New Year's Resolution is to learn how to cook "French"! I saw the program & recorded it! I substituted a precooked small pork roast [browning it, etc] and followed the directions. Chopping the shallot, mushrooms and parsley took the most time! Can't wait for leftovers tonight!

    Looking forward to preparing the Salmon en Croute.....

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on December 28, 2011

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    This was my first effort with puff pastry, but is something I've always wanted to try. Christmas dinner was a smashing success, thanks to this stellar recipe. I had to substitute a few of the ingredients (sweet onion for the shallots, Pinot Noir for the Madeira, but the end result was still quite wonderful. I used my food processor to do the mincing for me and, lucky me, had more than enough of the mushroom duxelles for the 2 1/4 pound beef tenderloin. So, I saved the excess and it is extraordinary on crackers or crustini or pretty much anything else. My finished product was perfectly cooked, exactly to the recipe's specifications. Next time I make this (and there WILL be a next time!, I'll be a little more tidy with the edges of the puff pastry and trim them off a bit more. Mine didn't quite resemble the one in the photo with the recipe -- it looked more like a little hovercraft! Oh, how delicious it was, though. Highly recommended!

    people found this review Helpful.
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