These little mini beef wellington guys are just like the real deal, but mini.
Do you ever find yourself obsessed with TV shows? It happens to me a lot, especially if I have the self-restraint to wait until a show is completed so I can binge watch. There’s something so satisfying about clicking next episode over and over again until you’ve reached the conclusion.
Downton Abbey is something that I’ve been holding out on because it’s just about to reach its sixth and final season. I so desperately wanted to wait, but I gave in to temptation and now I’m cursing myself because I absolutely need to see season six immediately. I love so many things about Downton, but what I find particularly fascinating – aside from the hair, clothes, and intrigue – is the food. I’ve always had a soft spot for English food.
Things like Cornish pasties, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and Yorkshire puddings are some of my favorite comfort foods. Not to mention the gloriousness that is a perfectly warm scone with clotted cream, jam, and a perfect cup of tea. It’s enough to make me swoon. So, imagine just how over the moon I am to have a chance to be going to London to see a couple of Downton Abbey locations. I’m so (so so) excited to be going to Highclere Castle (the real Downton) to have tea! I feel so fancy.
Beef wellington, but mini
Speaking of fancy, the next time you want to impress someone with your British culinary wizardry, make these mini beef wellington bites. They’re a golden burnished brown on the outside, but on the inside they’re a perfectly medium-rare pink. The tender, juicy beef is a nice foil against the flakiness of the pastry. There’s also secret added layers of deliciousness. Think thinly sliced parma ham, thyme butter roasted mushrooms, and a generous amount of dijon for a bit of a kick. I served these with a bit of garlicky mashed potatoes, but they’re perfect on their own as well.
These seem a little finicky, but the truth is, they’re time consuming more than finicky. Take a couple of hours, relax and give these little guys a go.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 lb mushrooms finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- beef tenderloin or filet, cubed
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard or to taste, Grey Poupon preferred
- 6 slices Prosciutto di Parma
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium low heat. When melted, add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, without stirring, 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until all moisture has cooked out and mushrooms resemble a smooth paste. Taste and season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, pat the filet cubes dry and season withe salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron pan over very high heat and sear all sides of the filet, 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan and let rest.
- Use a pastry brush and brush on a generous amount of dijon on to all sides of the filets.
- On a piece of plastic wrap, lay out a slice of prosciutto and spread a thin layer of mushrooms on. Place the filet cube in the centre and wrap the prosciutto around it. Wrap well with the plastic, making sure it is tight and held together. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the puff pastry into strips the width of the filet packages. Unwrap the filet and place on a strip of puff pastry and bring together. Use another piece of puff pastry, placed the opposite way and bring together to encase the beef. Use a bit of water to stick pastry together.
- Place wellingtons seam side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk wash. Using the back of a knife, lightly score in a leaf pattern and sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt.
- Bake the wellingtons for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and turn up the heat to 450°. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden and puffy. Let rest and enjoy!
Estimated Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Share it on instagram and tag it #iamafoodblog. If you'd like to leave a rating without leaving a comment, you can do so by clicking the stars underneath the recipe name.Thanks for reading as always!
-Steph & Mike
Omg! you’re going to Downton! Season six is awesome by the way. (I have to gloat when for once a good TV show is aired in Europe first! when I was little I had to wait six months to a year before my favorite shows from the US reached Norway -.-)
Could eat an artery cloggingly-high number of these! They look deeeeeleeeshus.
Have you ever watched The Great British Baking Show? I immediately thought of it when I saw this!
Another Downton Abbey fan. I so envy you your trip to see Highclere Castle, and to have tea, no less. And these mini beef wellingtons are genius.
These are the perfect answer to my dilemma. I wanted to make Beef Wellington for my hubby’s birthday. Now he would love your gorgeous medium rare specimens, however I very much doubt our daughters would eat beef that pink (our son the youngest, would devour yours, he is most definitely a carnivore!). Now I can make individual ones and cater for individual tastes. Perfect! I love the addition of Parma ham and mustard, absolutely delicious. Very glad I found your blog. Sammie
They look divine! I always do a mini version of Yorkshire pudding with mustard and roast beef as an appetizer at Christmas but never thought to do a mini Wellington. Thank you for the idea.
Hmmm do you think I can prep the Wellingtons to just before brushing the pastry with egg wash and then freeze it until I need it?
Yes! For sure!
These look so adorable and delicious!
Kari
YAYYYYYYY!!! These are the cutest little wellingtons ever. I am so excited for you to go to Downton!! Millions of pictures, please!!
I’m such an Anglophile, but haven’t yet watched DA either! All of my friends are in disbelief, but I also decided to wait it out. Thanks for the encouragement to do so! Lovely Wellingtons, btw.