This beef Wellington pairs seared beef tenderloin with a savory mushroom duxelles, wrapped in buttery brioche dough, and finished with a concentrated truffle Madeira sauce. The dish requires advance preparation of brioche dough (refrigerated overnight) and careful searing and assembly technique.
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Tie the beef tenderloin with butcher's twine to shape it into an even cylinder. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Get a cast iron pan as hot as you can possibly get it, and sear the tenderloin all over, treating it like an octagon — searing eight sides and then standing it up to sear the ends. The goal is to sear it blue: nice caramelization but not cooked beyond that.
Liberally brush Dijon mustard all over the seared tenderloin and then cover with the mushroom duxelles mixture, ensuring no beef is exposed.
Whisk the eggs with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Lay out the brioche dough, stretching it large enough to encase the beef tenderloin. Brush the egg wash where you will seal the dough (on the bottom of the Wellington); press the dough closed with a fork to seal it. Trim excess dough and use it to decorate the Wellington with various shapes, such as flowers, vines or lattice work. Cut a little hole in the top of the Wellington for steam to escape. Brush the finished Wellington with egg wash and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment and rub with some butter, then top with the Wellington. Bake, rotating in the oven once during cooking, until the pastry is golden and the beef is rare to medium-rare, 40 to 60 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing. Sauce with the truffle Madeira sauce and sliced fresh truffles on top.
--- Brioche Dough ---
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm milk, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add eggs and 188 grams flour, and beat at medium-low speed until smooth. Remove paddle and cover; let stand for 30 to 45 minutes. Small bubbles should form around the edges of the mixture.
Replace paddle attachment with the dough hook. Add salt and remaining 218 grams flour. Knead at medium speed until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and is smooth and elastic.
With mixer running at medium speed, add butter, 14 grams at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next. Spray a large bowl with baking spray and sprinkle with some flour. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F) until doubled in size, 1½ to 2½ hours.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough and fold a few times to knock out a bit of air. Return dough to greased bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
--- Mushroom Duxelles ---
Toss mushrooms into a food processor and chop finely until they can't get any smaller.
Melt butter in a rondeau over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring continuously, until most of the moisture has released and mushrooms are almost dry. This will take longer than expected as mushrooms expel liquid as they cook.
Stir in Sherry and cook until liquid is almost gone (au sec). Add herbs, season with salt and pepper and stir until combined. Set aside to cool. There should be no liquid in the mixture.
--- Truffle Madeira Sauce ---
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook gently over low heat until the shallots are soft but not brown.
Add the Madeira and Sherry, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to au sec (almost dry) to concentrate the flavor. Add in the demi-glace, return the mixture to a boil and reduce to sauce consistency. Strain through a chinois.
Just before serving, add the chopped truffles and Cognac. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover tightly to prevent the aroma from evaporating and serve as soon as possible.
Best served immediately after resting and slicing. Leftover Wellington can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat gently at 300°F until warmed through without overcooking the beef.
cast iron skillet · stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments · food processor · rondeau or wide saucepan · chinois or fine-mesh strainer · butcher's twine
Prepare the brioche dough at least 8 hours ahead and refrigerate. Assemble the Wellington (sear beef, apply mustard and duxelles, wrap in dough) up to 4 hours before baking. Bake just before serving for best pastry texture.
Bake at 400°F for 40 to 60 minutes until the beef reaches rare to medium-rare doneness. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the center (120–130°F for rare to medium-rare).
Yes. Omit fresh truffles from the final garnish, or use truffle peelings (¼ cup, finely chopped) in the Madeira sauce instead of a whole shaved truffle for similar flavor at lower cost.
Excess moisture will make the brioche dough soggy and prevent proper browning. Cook the mushrooms until they release all liquid and appear almost dry before adding herbs.
The dough should double in size (1½ to 2½ hours at 75°F in a warm, draft-free place). Small bubbles will form around the edges of the mixture after the initial 30–45 minute stand.
