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Beef Wellington is a classic dish made with beef tenderloin, pate, duxelles, and flaky pastry. It is often served in upscale restaurants and can be ordered for one or two people. The dish’s origins are uncertain, but it is believed to be named after the Duke of Wellington. Variations include using filet mignon and other meats.
Beef Wellington is an elegant beef dish whose origins date back to 1815. It is often served in sophisticated restaurants and upscale dining rooms where, due to its size, it can only be ordered for two people. In establishments that prepare single servings of beef Wellington, it may be ordered by only one person. Due to the intensity of the preparation steps, some restaurants require diners to order Beef Wellington 24 hours in advance.
Noted for its elegant presentation, Beef Wellington begins with a piece of raw beef tenderloin that has been trimmed of all fat and connective tissue. It is then covered in pate, normally pate de foie gras and duxelles, a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms and onions mixed with herbs and spices, reduced to a paste in a mixture of brandy, sherry or cognac and beef stock or semi-finished product. The roast beef is then traditionally wrapped in a large sheet of flaky pastry which is tightly sealed at the bottom. Some beef Wellington recipes recommend wrapping the beef in a large crepe first to prevent the flaky pastry from becoming soggy. The package is typically placed seam-side down on a buttered baking sheet and cooked at high heat until the tenderloin center is medium rare.
Stories of how Beef Wellington got its name vary considerably. The most prevalent story of its origins states that the dish was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who reportedly had a penchant for beef, mushrooms, wine and pate. Other accounts state that the British chef who created the dish wanted to give it a distinctly English name to distinguish it from the similar French dish called filet de boeuf en croute as France and England were feuding at this time in history. Another account of how the meat dish got its title is that the slab of meat, before being wrapped in flaky pastry, resembled the shiny army boots that were synonymous with the Duke of Wellington’s attire.
Variations on beef wellington include preparing individual portions using filet mignon steaks rather than the whole beef tenderloin. In recent years, the term Wellington has been used to describe any food cooked after being encased in a sheet of flaky pastry. Wellington dishes that include duck breast, chicken fillet, sausage, sea bass and whole salmon fillets are often served in trendy high-end restaurants.
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