There’s no doubt that beef Wellington is delicious. On the outside it is light, flaky and buttery, and when you slice through it, it reveals layers of smoky prosciutto, roast meat and rich mushrooms.
KwaZulu-Natal mom Dr Philile Mdletshe tops her decadent meaty recipe with a red wine jus for a touch of finesse.
Mdletshe will be the first to admit that it is not easy balancing life as a medical doctor, wife, and a kickass mom who prepares lip-smacking meals for her family.
She, however, is on a mission to make healthy living easy for busy moms in Mzansi, through a blog called Dr Mom Cooks.
“I love to cook, cooking is my therapy. My blog encompasses the three pillars of my brand, which is me being a doctor, being a mom and my love of cooking. And it has a bit of lifestyle in it as well, ” says Mdletshe.
She is based in Johannesburg and runs a private practice in Roodepoort. In November 2018 she started working on the idea of her blog after posting some of her dishes on social media. “I cook a lot and I posted a lot on my social media accounts, like Instagram, and every time people will always ask for recipes.”
Juggling her career and a family may seem tough, but all the support that she gets makes her life a little less stressful.
“I always say you always find time to do what you love. For me, my kids are a priority and when they are happy, I am happy. Their happiness is far more important than anything.”
Try your hand at this extravagant roast
Apart from the meals she shares on her blog, Mdletshe also prepares healthy lunchboxes for her children. “I believe our eating habits starts from a young age. If I instil good and healthy eating habits in my kids’ life, they are most likely to grow up healthy eaters. And obviously what I pack is an extension of what they eat at home,” says Mdletshe.
Mdletshe’s prepared a lovely beef Wellington with red wine jus.
ALSO TRY: Rising foodie Methoa Zita’s lamb potjie
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Ingredients
- 800g-1kg beef fillet
- 8-12 slices parma ham or prosciutto (an Italian dry-cured ham)
- 500g mixture of wild mushrooms, finely chopped
- 100ml dry white wine (optional)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme – leaves only, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 400g puff pastry, completely thawed
- 2 egg yolks, beaten with 1 tsp water and pinch of salt (also known as egg wash)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil and butter, for frying
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
For your fillet to hold a nice shape, wrap it tightly in cling film and chill overnight.
- In a hot skillet (frying pan) sear the beef fillet (approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute each side) in a little olive oil until all sides are brown, remove and set aside to cool.
- In the same skillet, add more olive oil and butter, fry the mushrooms and add salt and pepper, stirring continuously. Wait for the mushrooms to release their juices then add the minced garlic and thyme and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add white wine and cook until all the moisture has evaporated and you are left with a mushroom paste. This is called a mushroom duxelle. Remove the duxelle from the skillet and set aside to cool.
- Lay a piece of cling film on a large chopping board, arrange parma ham on top of it, making sure the pieces overlap a little. Now spoon the mushroom duxelle and spread it over the parma ham.
- Season the fillet with salt and pepper then place it in the middle of the mushroom covered parma ham. Using the cling film, roll the parma ham over the beef covering it completely, then twist the sides of the cling film to form a tight log. Let this chill while you are preparing your puff pastry.
- Lightly dust your working surface with flour to prevent the pastry from sticking to the surface. Roll out the puff pastry onto the surface.
- Brush the puff pastry with Dijon mustard and then remove the cling film from the fillet. Place the fillet on the puff pastry and wrap the pastry around it. Seal it tightly and trim the edges.
- Use the egg wash to brush and seal the edges. Score the pastry into diamond shapes (careful not to cut all the way through the pastry) or decorate with pastry art leaves, and then brush the rest of the pastry with egg wash. Chill for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Brush with egg wash again and bake in a preheated oven of 200°C for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. The meat in the middle should be medium rare, bake for longer if you prefer it more done.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and/or veggies.
Dr Mom’s serving tip: Top with red wine jus to make your beef Wellington topnotch. A red wine jus is a wine reduction (sauce) made from beef stock, red wine, garlic and thyme.
