Summertime Wellington recipe

Prepare: over 2 hours
Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serve: Serves 4

This summery beef Wellington is filled with spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, herbs and lemon, then baked in puff pastry until golden. Serve it warm or at room temperature with a sharp shallot and parsley salad and tarragon cream. You’ll need a large frying pan, a baking tray and a food processor.

By Matt Tebbutt

From Saturday Kitchen

Shopping list

Ingredients

For the mushroom filling

250g/9oz large spinach leaves
400g/14oz chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest only
1 tsp lemon thyme leaves
10g/⅓oz chives, chopped
10g/⅓oz flatleaf parsley, chopped
250g/9oz ricotta, drained
1 medium free-range egg, beaten

For the wellington

500g/1lb 2oz beef fillet
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
250g/9oz mushroom filling
500g/1lb 2oz puff pastry
egg wash, for brushing

For the shallot and parsley salad

1 banana shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp Moscatel vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
10g/⅓oz flatleaf parsley leaves

For the tarragon cream

3 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
lemon juice, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

To make the mushroom filling, cook the spinach in a large frying pan until wilted. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then roughly chop.
Add the mushrooms, garlic and shallots to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool.
Stir the lemon zest, lemon thyme, chives, parsley, ricotta and egg into the cooled mushroom mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
To make the Wellington, sear the beef in a hot pan until browned all over. Transfer to a plate, leave to cool, then chill.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Spread some of the mushroom filling over the pastry, then put the chilled beef on top. Spread the remaining mushroom filling over the beef, then wrap in the pastry and crimp the edges to seal.
Brush the pastry with egg wash, then chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Bake the Wellington for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the beef is cooked to your liking. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
To make the shallot and parsley salad, mix the shallot, capers, Moscatel vinegar, olive oil and parsley leaves in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the tarragon cream, mix the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, tarragon and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with black pepper.
Serve the sliced Wellington warm or at room temperature with the shallot and parsley salad and tarragon cream.