Beef Wellington
Turnip Purée, Red Wine Sauce, Micro Hearts on Fire
Chef Ryan Hacker of Brennan’s | New Orleans
“Beef wellington is a special dish we reserve at the restaurant for Christmas Eve, and we have continued to evolve the preparation each year. For this version, we take a southern turn with the addition of mustard greens and a turnip purée. We finish the dish with Fresh Origins Micro Hearts on Fire in order to add a bit of freshness and acidity to cut through all of the richness.” - Chef Ryan Hacker
Adapted by StarChefs | May 2023
INGREDIENTS
Turnip Purée:
1 pound purple top turnips, peeled and diced
1 pint whole milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt
Red Wine Jus:
6 ounces butter
1 pound beef trimmings or stew meat
8 ounces shallots, peeled and quartered
1 ounce garlic
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 ounces chopped mushroom trim
750 milliliters red wine
75 milliliters red wine vinegar
2 ounces palm sugar
750 milliliters beef stock
Salt
Duxelles:
3 pounds shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
1 can truffle peelings, drained
2 tablespoons butter
10 grams minced garlic
100 grams minced shallot
100 milliliters Madeira wine
20 grams chopped thyme
20 grams chopped rosemary
7 grams kosher salt
3 grams ground black pepper
Beef Wellington:
500 grams beef tenderloin, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise
5 grams kosher salt
3 grams ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Colman’s prepared mustard
36 slices bresaola, cut into 3-inch squares
8 large mustard green leaves, blanched
4 egg yolks
2 sheets puff pastry, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise to form eight pieces
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 4 servings
Fresh Origins Micro Hearts on Fire
METHOD
For the Turnip Purée:
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring turnips and milk to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until turnips are cooked through and tender. Strain mixture and transfer turnips to a blender. Purée on high speed until smooth, adding liquid if needed to thin out. Stir in canola oil. Taste and season with salt. Transfer purée to a small stockpot and keep warm.
For the Red Wine Jus:
In a large saucepan over high heat, brown the butter, scraping constantly with the edge of a spoon. Once the butter has browned, add beef and cook while continuing to scrape constantly until beef is well browned and a thick fond has formed. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, and mushrooms. Cook until another fond forms and the mushrooms are evenly browned. Drain fat from the pan and discard. Deglaze pan with wine, vinegar, and sugar. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced by half, skimming fat from the surface if needed. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean stockpot, discarding solids. Add beef stock and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens and can easily coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and keep warm.
For the Duxelles:
In a food processor, pulse mushrooms and truffles until finely chopped. Set aside. In a sauté pan over medium flame, heat butter until melted. Add garlic and shallots and sweat until thoroughly cooked through, but not browned. Stir in mushroom-truffle mixture and continue cooking until liquid is evaporated, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to prevent burning. Deglaze pan with wine, then stir in stock, thyme, and rosemary. Continue to cook until liquid has nearly evaporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto a sheet tray and let cool.
For the Beef Wellington:
Season beef with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sear beef on all sides. Place on a wire rack and refrigerate 20 minutes. Once cooled, brush seared beef with mustard. Lay bresaola square on a plastic wrap-lined work surface. Place mustard greens on top of the square, making sure the square is completely covered, but that the greens are not extending past the edge. Top with a thin layer of Duxelles followed by 1 piece seared beef. Using the plastic wrap, rolling everything around the beef until completely encased in the bresaola, greens, and Duxelles. Repeat process with each tenderloin. Place on a sheet tray and refrigerate 1 hour.
In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water. Set aside. On a floured work surface, roll out 1 sheet puff pastry piece to a thickness of approximately 5 millimeters. Brush with egg wash. Remove beef tenderloin rolls from plastic wrap and place each into the center of a puff pastry piece. Roll pastry around until the tenderloin is completely covered, trimming excess dough to make sure it is completely sealed and as tight and neat as possible. Repeat for each tenderloin. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove each roll from the plastic wrap and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet tray. Brush pastry with egg wash. Cut remaining puff pastry sheet with a lattice cutter. Place over the entire tenderloin, trimming and pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat process for remaining 3 tenderloins. Brush top with egg white and refrigerate 30 minutes.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat convection oven to 425°F. Remove Beef Wellingtons from refrigerator and brush with egg wash. Place a digital probe in each Beef Wellington. Bake 35 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, and removing from oven when the internal temperature reaches 97°F. Transfer to a wire rack and let rest 20 minutes. Once cooled, using a serrated knife, cut Beef Wellingtons in half and place each on in the center of a serving plate, positioned so that the center is opened like a book. Spoon 1 ounce Turnip Purée to the right of the Beef Wellington. Drizzle with ½ ounce Red Wine Jus. Garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Hearts on Fire.
