Mary Berry's beef Wellington recipe

Details

• Cuisine: British
• Recipe Type: Beef
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 50 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Step-by-step

For the beef

1. Season the beef with black pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the beef, and cook over a high heat until browned all over.
2. Put the beef fillet in a roasting tin and cook in a preheated oven at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 for 25 minutes for rare beef, 35 minutes for medium, or 40 minutes for well-done. Leave to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the frying pan, add the onion and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Increase the heat to high, and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated. Turn into a bowl and leave to cool completely.
4. Add the liver pâté to the mushroom and onion mixture, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine.

For the Wellington 

1. Roll out 300g (10oz) of the pastry to a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in) rectangle. Spread half of the pâté mixture down the middle, leaving a 10cm (4in) border on each side.
2. Remove the string from the beef and place the beef on the pâté mixture. Cover with remaining pâté mixture.
3. Brush the pastry border with beaten egg. Fold the short sides of the pastry over the beef.
4. Fold over the long ends and turn the parcel over. Brush with beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry, and cut into strips, 5 mm (¼ in) wide. Arrange in a lattice pattern on top of the pastry, then glaze the strips with beaten egg.
5. Bake at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 for 45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent the pastry becoming too brown. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve with the gravy.

For the mushroom gravy

1. Melt 30g (1oz) butter in a saucepan. Add 1 finely chopped shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
2. Add 250g (8oz) sliced mushrooms and cook gently for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in 300ml (0.5 pint) beef stock, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste

You can also use this recipe to make eight individual wellingtons. Cut the raw beef into eight slices, brown in a frying pan, cool, then wrap each one in pastry with a little of the pâté mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes.