Beef Wellington

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Selkie

Executive Chef
Joined
Aug 20, 2009
Messages
3,794
Location
Arkansas
I'm making Beef Wellington for my Christmas Dinner, and I'm breaking a cardinal rule by preparing something for guests that I've never fixed before - primarily because it's a little pricey to make.

From the recipes I've read through, there is a (for lack of a better word) "glaze" or "paste" layer between the tenderloin and the puff pastry. It's this paste that has me troubled. Some are spicy mustard-type, some are herbal/butter, some are a savory mix.

In your experience of either eating it or making it, what kind of "glaze" have you liked and, just basically, what was it?
 
One can also make individual ones, using a filet. We did that in cooking school last year.
 
when I make a Wellington I use a mix of finely chopped and sauted mushrooms,parsley,marjoram,a small amount of shallots and several cloves of garlic. This year I'll make this paste,put it on the meat, then wrap and tie into place slices of thin sliced prosciutto then wrap it all in puff pastry.
kadesma
 
Though I've cooked and added mushrooms in many different ways to many different dishes, I've never made a duxelle, or mushroom stuffing. I've always used the mushrooms to enhance other things, except in certain gravies and soups, where it was the star ingredient. I could go on-line and find a thousand duxelle recipes, I'm sure. But from reading this thread, I believe there are some here that already have tried and true recipes for this wonderful sounding stuffing. Care to share?:chef:

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Not sure what your point is, GWeed, but, I was just suggesting some links for a traditional beef Wellington, which uses duxelles (cooked down, minced mushrooms with some shallots, nothing really fancy at all, just a cooking term that describes that particular way of doing it) as the paste between the beef and the pastry. It is indeed good, as I have done it myself.
Feel free to do it any way you want.
 
I think GW's point was more to compliment folks here rather than to comment about searching for the recipes online Wyogal. He's a wordy son of a gun so sometimes you have to read carefully. ;)
 
Duxcelle is traditional - but I have also played with Foie Gras instead. That was super divine. :chef:
 
Well, GW - duxelle is just a fancy cookery shorthand term like Mirepoix is for a mixture of 2 parts onions and 1 part each of carrot and celery.

Here is my recipe which is based on Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire which I assume is the standard foundation for what they teach in cookery schools.

Ordinary or dry duxelle:

1/2 lb mushrooms (finely chopped)
1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (mashed into a paste)
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons oil (I use pure/lite olive - NOT Extra Virgin)
2 Tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and Pepper - to taste

1) Chop the mushrooms and then place in a clean kitchen towel or napkin and squeeze out all the moisture you can.
2) In a skillet heat the oil and butter and add the onion - saute until golden.
3) Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more.
4) Add the mushrooms and cook until all liquid has been evaporated.
5) Remove from the heat and add the parsley, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

To make this into a duxelle for stuffing:

2 Cups dry duxelle
1 Cup Demi-Glace
2/3 Cup white wine

Combine the ingredients in a skillet and simmer until desired consistency is reached.

I use something called Demi-Glace Gold that I found at the store (about $5 and makes 1 cup) because I'm too lazy to make demi-glace from scratch.

Starting with this I sometimes add other stuff like toasted bread crumbs, some herbs, chopped nuts, dried fruit, etc. to gussy it up a bit depending on what I'm cooking.

Hope this helps answer your question.
 
Last edited:
Not sure what your point is, GWeed, but, I was just suggesting some links for a traditional beef Wellington, which uses duxelles (cooked down, minced mushrooms with some shallots, nothing really fancy at all, just a cooking term that describes that particular way of doing it) as the paste between the beef and the pastry. It is indeed good, as I have done it myself.
Feel free to do it any way you want.

In my own imittable, and at times, clumsy fassion, I was trying to say that I don't have any experience in using mushrooms in this way, and wanted a recipe so that I too could expand my cooking knowledge just a bit more. You, and others stated that you had made duxelles. I was asking that you, or others might share the recipe/technique. No point was intended. And yes, I am wordy by nature. It's a curse and a blessing, a curse in conversations, a blessing when I'm putting together a novel. I try to be clear, but sometimes am not. Sorry for the confusion.

Wyogal, I get the feeling that somehow I irritate you. I really don't intend to. I'd much rather be a freind than an adversary.

And Michael, thanks for the recipe.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Thank-you. I do appreciate it, GW. It's been one heck of a day. Dropped dog off at vet, woke us up at 4 in severe pain. Then computer crashed, DH got it running, but lost everything.
Thanks for explaining.
The thing I like about duxelles is that it gives great flavor without having the texture of larger mushrooms. So, those that normally wouldn't eat mushroooms may like duxelles.
 
Thanks Wyogal. That's a good way of thinking about it. I once had a container that I purchaced in Canada, of mushroom powder. I believe that the shrooms were dried, and pulverized into a powder. The flavor was pure mushroom, similar to cremini if I recall. It was a fantastic seasoning. I haven't again found the item anywhere; and I've been searching for about 15 years now.:neutral: Duxelles might just be something I can use for various dishes instead. I have truffle salt in my pantry, but it is strictly a finishing salt as if you try to cook with it, the truffle flavor evaporates into the air and is lost to the food (heavy sigh).

Thanks.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Thanks Wyogal. That's a good way of thinking about it. I once had a container that I purchaced in Canada, of mushrrom powder. I believe that the shrooms were dried, and pulvefrized into a powder. The flavor was pure mushroom, similar to cremini if I recall. It was a fantastic seasoning. I haven't again found the item anywhere; and I've been searching for about 15 years now.:neutral: Duxelles might just be shomething I can use for various dishes instead. I have truffle salt in my pantry, but it is strictly a finishing salt as if you try to cook with it, the truffle flavor evaporates into the air and is lost to the food (heavy sigh).

Thanks.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

I remember that stuff. I haven't thought of it in years. Can you remember the brand name GW? I'll look for it if you can.
 
GW,
I don't know what mushroom powder is, but I do know that if you take dry shitake mushrooms and put them into a F/P you can make a fine powder to dip fish, or chicken into before frying. I would imagine it would work for any dry mushrooms.
kadesma
 
I remember that stuff. I haven't thought of it in years. Can you remember the brand name GW? I'll look for it if you can.

I wish I could remember the name. I do remember that it came in a little, mushroom shaped plastic container though. I had it many years back (maybe ten, maybe 15). And Kades, you are probably correct. My problem with dried mushrooms is that I have found that the flavor is often lacking. maybe I just purchased poor quality dried mushrooms.

I bought some dried morells from a "gourmet" shop in Petoskey Michigan and followed the directions for hydrating and using. There was almost no flavor in the mushrroms, especially when cooked into something. And they weren't cheap!. But this inexpensive stuff I found so many years back had wonderful flavor. It's a wonderful thing when you find a gem. But they are rare, and not easy to find again.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom