Beef Wellington

Pat the beef dry with paper towels, season all over with fine sea salt and black pepper, then place uncovered on a wire rack set over a tray.

Refrigerate the seasoned beef uncovered for 12–24 hours to dry-brine.

Remove the beef from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off.

Heat the neutral oil in a heavy skillet over the highest heat until smoking. Sear the tenderloin on all sides and both ends for about 2 minutes total, turning frequently, until deeply mahogany all over.

Transfer the seared beef to a wire rack. Brush immediately and generously with English mustard on all sides. Leave to cool completely at room temperature.

Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until completely softened and translucent.

Add the chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 12–15 minutes until all moisture has evaporated and the duxelles is a dark, almost dry paste that pulls away from the pan.

Pour in the sherry or Madeira and stir for 1–2 minutes until fully absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, spread the duxelles on a tray, and leave to cool completely.

Lay a large sheet of cling film on the work surface. Overlap the Parma ham slices into a rectangle roughly 30 × 20 cm, then spread the cooled duxelles evenly over the ham, leaving a 2 cm border all around.

Place the mustard-coated beef at the near edge of the ham. Use the cling film to roll the ham tightly around the beef, twisting the ends to form a firm, even log. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the shape.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to enclose the Wellington with a 3 cm overlap on all sides. Brush the pastry edges with egg wash.

Unwrap the ham-wrapped beef, centre it on the pastry, and roll the pastry tightly around it. Seal the seam firmly underneath and press the ends to seal. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.

Refrigerate the assembled Wellington for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / 425°F.

Brush the entire pastry surface with egg wash, score a subtle crosshatch pattern with the back of a knife without cutting through, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Roast on the middle shelf for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Begin checking the internal temperature at 25 minutes. Using a meat thermometer inserted into the centre of the beef, remove from the oven when it reads 52–54°C (125–129°F) for medium-rare — the temperature will continue rising to 57–60°C (135–140°F) during resting.

Rest the Wellington uncovered on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp serrated knife into thick rounds.