My Italian family always enjoyed a variety of pastas & fish over the Christmas holiday. Fried shrimp with vinegar was the appetizer on Christmas Eve followed by spaghetti with tuna fish in the pasta sauce. Christmas dinner was always homemade meat raviolis. And my Nona always made the traditional Italian salted cod, baccalà, for my dad as well. The holiday meals authentically reflected the Italian roots on my father’s side.
Eric’s family did things a little differently. Their ancestors were German and English. The holiday menu for Eric’s family was not necessarily the same every year. They would have ham, roast beef, or duck depending on who was cooking for the holiday.
Today’s post falls more into line with Eric’s holiday celebrations. Beef tenderloin fillets are covered with a savory mix of mushrooms and onions sautéed in butter and seasoned with sherry and fresh parsley. Then the beef & mushroom mixture is wrapped in puff pastry and baked. This individual & delicious version of beef wellington is adaptable to different group sizes and is perfect for the meat course at Christmas!
Individual Beef Wellingtons
Individual Beef Wellingtons (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 20 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Chill Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 25 minutes, Additional Time: 5 minutes, Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 6 8-ounce fillets beef tenderloin
- 17.5 ounce package frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
- egg wash or olive oil
Directions:
Combine the mushrooms, sherry, onion, butter, and parsley in a large skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the mushrooms, sherry, onion, butter, and parsley in a large skillet.
Cook and stir until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms are well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool while working with the pastry.
Allow the mushroom mixture to cool slightly.
Cut each partially thawed puff pastry sheet into 3 rectangles, for a total of 6 pieces. Roll out each puff pastry rectangle to about 1/4-inch thickness. Divide the mushroom mixture evenly between the rolled out pastry pieces, placing the mixture in the center of the pieces.
Place some of the mushroom mixture on the individual pieces of puff pastry.
Top the mushroom mixture with a tenderloin on each puff pastry piece.
Set a beef fillet on each piece.
Fold up the pastry around the beef and seal all the edges, making sure the seams are not too thick. Flip the individual servings over so the mushrooms are on top and there is a bottom seam and side seams. Place each enrobed piece of beef on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Seal the puff pastry around the beef & mushroom mixture.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the beef from the fridge and make a few vent slits in the pastry. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg wash or olive oil.
Brush the pastry with an egg wash.
Bake the beef in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 130ºF on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center for medium rare or 135ºF for medium.
Bake the wellingtons.
Let the beef rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Allow the beef to rest before serving.
Wishing you & yours a very Merry Christmas! ~Linda
Individual Beef Wellingtons (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 20 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Chill Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 25 minutes, Additional Time: 5 minutes, Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 6 8-ounce fillets beef tenderloin
- 17.5 ounce package frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
- egg wash or olive oil
Directions:
Combine the mushrooms, sherry, onion, butter, and parsley in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms are well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool while working with the pastry.
Cut each partially thawed puff pastry sheet into 3 rectangles, for a total of 6 pieces. Roll out each puff pastry rectangle to about 1/4-inch thickness. Divide the mushroom mixture evenly between the rolled out pastry pieces, placing the mixture in the center of the pieces. Top the mushroom mixture with a tenderloin on each puff pastry piece. Fold up the pastry around the beef and seal all the edges, making sure the seams are not too thick. Flip the individual servings over so the mushrooms are on top and there is a bottom seam and side seams. Place each enrobed piece of beef on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the beef from the fridge and make a few vent slits in the pastry. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg wash or olive oil. Bake the beef in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 130ºF on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center for medium rare or 135ºF for medium. Let the beef rest for 5 minutes before serving.