Beef Wellington with Prosciutto and Cheese

If you want to woo your guests or make a romantic dinner for that special person in your life; this is a delicious recipe filled with flavors that will have them eating each bite with umms, oooh and ahhs!  In Italy, it is not very customary to make the sounds of umms, oooh and ahhs when you take a bite of your meal at the table, but here in America, it is acceptable, so go for it! 

This recipe can be prepared the night before your meal. It does take some time to prepare; if you are preparing a meal for 8.   I've added some photos to assist you with the process.  My photos show 6oz, 8oz servings of filet mignon, so you can see the difference in size. It is preferrable to serve the 6oz filet mignon as a single serving.

I have made this recipe with different types of cheeses from the N.W. ; since this is where I live and I try to buy locally.  However, I originally made this with a Blue Stilton and it is absolutely delicious.  The Blue Stilton just adds a milder taste that enhances the flavors of the prosciutto, filet mignon and the hint of truffle if you choose to add the truffle paste to this recipe (I highly recommend it).  Since Blue Stilton is a favorite in England during the holidays, this recipe will definitely be a favorite with your guests.



Searing and cooled



Prosciutto

Plastic food wrap layered with prosciutto, mushroom mixture, cheese and filet mignon

Wrap tightly and refrigerate 1-2 hours or it can be refrigerated the day before your dinner.

Day of dinner; unwrap and place on puff pastry sheet, brush with egg wash and enclose puff pastry over filet. 
*Chef note: I made my own puff pastry; so this one may look different from the store purchased puff pastry.

8 oz and 6 oz Beef Wellington





Baked to medium rare.  Delicious!



Sadie's RECIPE:

Beef Wellington with Prosciutto and Cheese

Serves 8

1 package dry porcini mushrooms (*about ½ pound)

8 – 1 ½ inch thick, 6 - 8 oz) center cut Filet Mignon

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons shallots, chopped

½ cup *Beecher’s Flagship or *Cougar Gold cheese  or a Blue Stilton cheese (my original recipe)

1 tsp truffle paste (optional)

8-10 slices of prosciutto

2 large eggs, beaten

2 (17.5 oz package) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 450* degrees F

Place porcini mushrooms in a large bowl filled with water and rehydrate (about 15 -20 minutes).

Remove Filet Mignon from refrigerator about 30 minutes before preparing. Pat filet mignons dry and season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. In a large skillet (cast iron works best) on high heat, sear filets on both sides. Note: allow filet to sear well on each side, turning over once (about 2 – 3 minutes each side). Set aside.

Remove mushrooms from water, pat dry with paper towel and chop. Discard water.

In heavy skillet, on medium heat, add butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté porcini and shallots until tender. Place mushrooms and shallots in a bowl; add truffle paste (optional) and stir together, let cool.

Crumble cheese in a bowl and set aside.

For each preparation; cut a sheet of plastic food wrap and place on counter. On top of the plastic food wrap, place the following in order: one slice of prosciutto, mushroom mixture, 2 tablespoons of crumbled cheese and Filet Mignon. Take plastic wrap to fold prosciutto and toppings over filet mignon. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 – 2 hours before next step or you can prepare the day before your dinner.

In a small bowl beat together eggs for an egg wash and set aside.

Roll out puff pastry dough; place on a lightly coated counter with flour; cut puff pastry into squares to fit around your Filet Mignon (around 6- 7 inch squares).

For each square: Unwrap Filet Mignon carefully and place on puff pastry square (discard plastic wrap). Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash on side of pastry and fold opposite corners to enclose completely. Place seam side down on baking pan and brush with egg wash on top and on sides. Score the top of puff pastry with a sharp knife a couple of times. Bake for 10 minutes at 450*F and then reduce heat to 425*F and bake for 10-15 minutes, until pastry is a golden brown.

*Beecher's and Cougar Gold Cheese are from the N.W. You can find Cougar Gold cheese through W.S.U. web site and Beecher’s cheese directly through Beecher’s (http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/) or on Amazon.com. These are both rich white cheddar cheeses that are absolutely delicious with this recipe. The original recipe I created was with the Blue Stilton and it is quite delicious as well. 

*Porcini is usually difficult to find as a fresh item; some specialty food stores will carry fresh porcini, but most of the time it is dried.  The packages will usually tell you the equivalent weight to fresh porcini. 

Suggestions: Serve Beef Wellington with Demi-Glace and roasted potatoes (fingerling potatoes) and with a green vegetable

Buon Appetito!