From Donal Skehan’s HomeCooked, this Mini Beef Wellington recipe is a brilliant solution for anyone who’s ever tried to please a table full of different tastes.
Getting one big beef Wellington right for everyone is tricky, especially when your guests each have their own idea of how their steak should be cooked. Making individual mini Wellingtons solves the problem neatly — each parcel is wrapped separately, so everyone gets theirs cooked exactly how they like it, from rare to well done.
It’s a lovely dish for a special family dinner, a dinner party, or any occasion that calls for something a little more impressive than the usual midweek meal.
Mini Beef Wellington
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 6 thick beef fillet steaks with a good marbling of fat
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- English mustard, for brushing the meat
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 500g puff pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the Filling
- 10g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 300g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 100ml brandy
- 100ml single cream
Method
To make the filling, first soak the porcini mushrooms in boiling water for 10–15 minutes until they are plump and tender. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop finely.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Add the shallots and fry for 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the porcini and chestnut mushrooms together with the thyme and cook for a further 6 minutes until tender. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid, brandy and cream and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened. Tip the filling into a clean bowl and leave to cool completely.
Season the steaks with sea salt and ground black pepper. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper, then place it back over a high heat with a little oil and brown the steaks, in batches if necessary, for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and rest for at least 30 minutes until completely cool. Once cooled, brush each one with mustard.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle measuring about 45 x 30cm and about 3mm thick. Divide the rectangle into six squares, each one big enough to wrap all the way around a fillet.
Divide the mushroom mixture among the six squares and spread over the pastry, leaving 1cm uncovered all the way around. Place a beef fillet on top of each. Brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg, then lift the pastry edges up over the beef and turn the parcel over, tucking the edges in neatly. Place the parcels on a baking tray, seam-side down.
Bake for 15–20 minutes for medium rare, or a little longer if you prefer your beef more cooked through. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving on warmed plates with steamed greens.
About HomeCooked
This recipe comes from Donal Skehan’s cookbook HomeCooked, which shows how easy and satisfying it can be to cook great food for family and friends every day. The book includes fresh takes on well-loved family classics — like Stuffed Pork with Apple and Ginger Sauce, One-Pot Whole Chicken, and a Failsafe Bread recipe — alongside original ideas such as Blackened Salmon with Green Goddess Avocado Salad, Blue Cheese Beef Sliders, and a Mikado Coconut Cream Cake.
Donal Skehan is an award-winning Irish food writer and broadcaster, known for cookbooks including Good Mood Food and Kitchen Hero: Bringing Cooking Back Home, and for television series including Kitchen Hero and HomeCooked. You can find more of his recipes at www.donalskehan.com.
FAQs
Can I make mini beef Wellingtons ahead of time?
Yes — you can assemble the parcels up to a day in advance and keep them covered in the fridge. Bring them close to room temperature before baking so the cooking time stays accurate.
Can I freeze beef Wellington parcels?
You can freeze the assembled, unbaked parcels. Thaw fully in the fridge before baking, and check the beef is cooked to your liking before serving.
What can I serve with mini beef Wellingtons?
Steamed greens are suggested in the recipe, but creamy mash, roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad all work well alongside them.
Do I need to use fillet steak?
Fillet is used here because it’s tender and cooks quickly, which suits the short baking time. A different cut may need a longer cooking time to become tender.
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- Quick and comforting midweek dinner ideas
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