These little mini beef wellington guys are just like the real deal, but mini.
Do you ever find yourself obsessed with TV shows? It happens to me a lot, especially if I have the self-restraint to wait until a show is completed so I can binge watch. There’s something so satisfying about clicking next episode over and over again until you’ve reached the conclusion.
Downton Abbey is something that I’ve been holding out on because it’s just about to reach its sixth and final season. I so desperately wanted to wait, but I gave in to temptation and now I’m cursing myself because I absolutely need to see season six immediately. I love so many things about Downton, but what I find particularly fascinating – aside from the hair, clothes, and intrigue – is the food. I’ve always had a soft spot for English food.
Things like Cornish pasties, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and Yorkshire puddings are some of my favorite comfort foods. Not to mention the gloriousness that is a perfectly warm scone with clotted cream, jam, and a perfect cup of tea. It’s enough to make me swoon. So, imagine just how over the moon I am to have a chance to be going to London to see a couple of Downton Abbey locations. I’m so (so so) excited to be going to Highclere Castle (the real Downton) to have tea! I feel so fancy.
Beef wellington, but mini
Speaking of fancy, the next time you want to impress someone with your British culinary wizardry, make these mini beef wellington bites. They’re a golden burnished brown on the outside, but on the inside they’re a perfectly medium-rare pink. The tender, juicy beef is a nice foil against the flakiness of the pastry. There’s also secret added layers of deliciousness. Think thinly sliced parma ham, thyme butter roasted mushrooms, and a generous amount of dijon for a bit of a kick. I served these with a bit of garlicky mashed potatoes, but they’re perfect on their own as well.
These seem a little finicky, but the truth is, they’re time consuming more than finicky. Take a couple of hours, relax and give these little guys a go.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 lb mushrooms finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- beef tenderloin or filet, cubed
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard or to taste, Grey Poupon preferred
- 6 slices Prosciutto di Parma
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium low heat. When melted, add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, without stirring, 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until all moisture has cooked out and mushrooms resemble a smooth paste. Taste and season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, pat the filet cubes dry and season withe salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron pan over very high heat and sear all sides of the filet, 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan and let rest.
- Use a pastry brush and brush on a generous amount of dijon on to all sides of the filets.
- On a piece of plastic wrap, lay out a slice of prosciutto and spread a thin layer of mushrooms on. Place the filet cube in the centre and wrap the prosciutto around it. Wrap well with the plastic, making sure it is tight and held together. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the puff pastry into strips the width of the filet packages. Unwrap the filet and place on a strip of puff pastry and bring together. Use another piece of puff pastry, placed the opposite way and bring together to encase the beef. Use a bit of water to stick pastry together.
- Place wellingtons seam side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk wash. Using the back of a knife, lightly score in a leaf pattern and sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt.
- Bake the wellingtons for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and turn up the heat to 450°. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden and puffy. Let rest and enjoy!
Estimated Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Share it on instagram and tag it #iamafoodblog. If you'd like to leave a rating without leaving a comment, you can do so by clicking the stars underneath the recipe name.Thanks for reading as always!
-Steph & Mike
Wow! It’s looks so good! I love the mashed potatoes on top. It’s like a mini dinner on a spoon. Such a wonderful idea!
I made these last night as a test run for Christmas! They came out great- my mushrooms never made a paste so yours look to have a lot more mushrooms per package!
And I wrapped them once by stretching the piece of pastry. Still worked!
Thank you!
Made these 2 weeks ago and they were well received. Your recipe and comments were well done. Last night I made them again, but used 90% lean ground beef patties instead. They were wonderful and will become a standard in my repertory. Thank you, Stephanie
I saw these in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I knew I had to get the recipe. Opened up Pinterest and there you were!
This has become one of my hall of fame recipes. I’ve made these at least half a dozen times over the years. Last year, I made them for Christmas Eve to huge applause. I’ve stocked them in grieving cousins freezers, for a stick-to-your-ribs hug. Most often I make a big batch for myself and eat them all winter long. Dress them up with lobster mashed potatoes; dress them down with French fries. They never disappoint. However, there are a couple of edits you need to know. 1. Even at medium/medium-high temp it takes minimum 90 minutes to two hours to cook the mushroom duxelle to a paste. 2. At 400, from room temp, the wellies take a minimum of 30 minutes to cook to golden, flakey for a medium done filet. I think they are best straight out of the freezer. 400 degrees for 45 minutes. The pastry gets golden brown and flakey but the steak is a little closer to medium rare.
Any suggestions for replacing the mushrooms due to mushroom allergy?
hi alice, you can skip the mushroom part and just wrap it in the ham :)
When you sear the beef, do you sear the entire piece first, then cut them up or cut them up into little pieces and sear them individually?
cut them up and sear individually :)
Thank you! Cos the pic looks like a bigg-ish piece! I LOVE your blog btw and have been tracking (stalking, cos I never leave comments) you for many years! The recipes are always spot on and so trendy. I look like a star with my teens every time I try your tiktok recipes. :))
Thank you! Cos the pic looks like a bigg-ish piece! I LOVE your blog btw and have been tracking (stalking, cos I never leave comments) you for many years! The recipes are always spot on and so trendy. I look like a star with my teens every time I try your tiktok recipes. :))