Delia Smith Beef Wellington Recipe

This Delia Smith Beef Wellington recipe is a classic British centrepiece with a crisp golden pastry, tender beef fillet, and a richly savoury mushroom filling. The texture is beautifully balanced, with flaky pastry giving way to juicy beef and an earthy duxelles. It is a moderately challenging recipe, best suited to confident home cooks, but the results are well worth the effort. Allow around 2 hours from start to finish, including resting time.

Ingredients

For the Beef

• 1 kg beef fillet, trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Mushroom Duxelles

• 500 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

For Assembly

• 6 slices prosciutto
• 500 g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• Plain flour, for dusting

How to Make Delia Smith Beef Wellington

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the Wellington cooks evenly and the pastry colours nicely.
• Sear the beef: Season the beef fillet well. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sear the beef on all sides until well browned. Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely.
• Make the duxelles: In the same pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the shallots and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, then cook until all moisture has evaporated. Season and leave to cool.
• Assemble the layers: Lay out cling film and arrange the prosciutto slices slightly overlapping. Spread the cooled mushroom mixture evenly on top, then place the beef in the centre. Roll tightly using the cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
• Wrap in pastry: Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Unwrap the beef and place it in the centre. Brush the edges with beaten egg, wrap tightly, and seal well. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Bake: Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and crisp. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tips

How do I stop the pastry from going soggy?

Make sure the mushroom mixture is completely dry and the beef is fully cooled before wrapping.

Can I prepare Beef Wellington ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble it up to the pastry stage and chill for up to 24 hours before baking.

What if my pastry browns too quickly?

Cover loosely with foil during the final 10 minutes of baking if needed.

Serving Suggestions

• Roast potatoes and honey-glazed carrots
• Steamed green beans or buttered cabbage
• Rich red wine gravy

Storage

Room Temperature

Best served fresh and not recommended for keeping at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Refrigerator

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently to avoid overcooking the beef.

Freezing

Unbaked Wellington can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding extra cooking time.

Nutrition

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Protein: 32 g
• Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 12 g
• Sodium: 620 mg

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used.

FAQs

Delia Smith Beef Wellington Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: MainCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Classic British Beef Wellington with tender beef fillet, rich mushroom duxelles, and crisp golden puff pastry.

Ingredients

• Beef fillet

• Chestnut mushrooms

• Prosciutto

• Puff pastry

Directions

• Sear beef and cool completely.
• Prepare mushroom duxelles until dry.
• Wrap beef with prosciutto and mushrooms.
• Wrap in pastry and chill.
• Bake until golden and rest before serving.