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Air Fryer Beef Wellington

Air Fryer Beef Wellington is a modern British recipe for a dish of beef coated in mushroom duxelles and wrapped in puff pastry that's adapted to be cooked in an air-fryer. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Air Fryer Beef Wellington.

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

80 minutes

Total Time:

95 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Beef RecipesBritish Recipes

Both my wife and I really like game meat and I typically make a Wellington from loin of venison (whether African or European) or fillet (tenderloin) of wild boar. In terms of beef, wanting to be a little more economical I typically use topside, which I salt liberally with coarse sea salt for 2 hours before preparing. This makes the final Beef Wellington far more economical. As my wife does not like rare meat, but I do I also cut the meat in two halves, one which I pre-cook and the other which I just sear on the outside for extra flavour. This way we both get a dish we love, cooked the way we like it. Salting the beef will significantly tenderise it, making a cheaper cut more similar to an expensive one.

A traditional Wellington is fillet (tenderloin) of beef coated in pate and then duxelle of mushrooms enclosed in a pastry crust that’s oven baked. While historians generally believe that the dish is named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the precise origin of the name is unclear and no definite connection between the dish and the duke has been found. It is almost certain that the antecedent of the dish is the French filet de bœuf en croûte. This has caused some writers to speculate that "Beef Wellington" was a "timely patriotic rebranding of a trendy continental dish".

However, it’s actually very hard to pinpoint the origins or naming of the dish. Indeed, written recipes do not seem to appear until the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

My air fryer will accept a 1kg (2 ½ lbs) piece of meat (with all the wrappings) which will easily feed six people.

Ingredients:

For the Garlic Mushrooms:
250g (9oz) Mushrooms
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
Fresh Rosemary
6 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and freshly-ground black Pepper
1 tbsp Butter

Beef Wellington Ingredients (make ahead)
1kg (2 ½ oz) Beef Fillet
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Parsley
Salt and freshly-ground black Pepper

Beef Wellington Ingredients (next day)
1kg (2 ½ lbs) Frozen Puff Pastry
200g (7 oz) Brussels Pate
Egg Wash

Method:

Trim the rolled topside neatly then salt the base of a non-reactive dish. Place the meat inside and salt the top and sides. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside in the refrigerator for 2 hours. After this time wash off the excess salt and pat the meat dry.

Slice the mushrooms into thirds (lengthways) and place them into the air fryer basket. Spray with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Nestle in a sprig or two of fresh rosemary and some peeled garlic cloves. Air fry for 9 minutes at 180°C (360°F) and appreciate the wonderful garlic and rosemary aroma wafting through your kitchen.

Discard the rosemary then transfer the mushrooms and garlic into a bowl with the almost melted butter. Toss the mushrooms and garlic to coated in the butter; then transfer to the refrigerator and store over-night.

Sit your topside on a chopping board, remove any string, score the meat, rub in the extra virgin olive oil then season with salt, black pepper, thyme, and parsley. Air-fry your meat for 5 minutes at 180°C (360°F), turn over and then cook for 5 minutes at the same temperature on the other side.

Remove the meat from the air fryer and allow to rest until cool. Pour off any juices than might have come from the meat then wrap in foil and store in the fridge overnight.

The following day remove the beef, pate, and mushrooms from the refrigerator and the puff pastry from the freezer and allow them to warm to room temperature. When warmed and pliable, unwrap your pastry and roll on a lightly-floured work surface then spread over a layer of pate. Next, add a layer of mushrooms. Make sure, however, that you have enough mushrooms and pate to top the beef.

Top with the beef, then take your second pastry sheet. Roll out and spread over a layer of pate, followed by a layer of mushrooms on the top and sides of the meat. Carefully flip over the pastry and arrange on top of the beef. Brush with a coating of egg wash then seal together the top and bottom pieces of pastry and tightly seal the pastry to enclose the meat.

Turn over the beef wellington and use scissors or a knife to make two cuts right through the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush the top and sides with egg wash then sit in your air fryer basket.

Then add a layer of egg wash before placing in the air fryer basket.

Air fry for 50 minutes at 180°C (360°F) for a medium rare or 60 minutes for a medium to well done. Remove from the air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes (the meat will continue to cook) before slicing and serving.

If you have a much smaller beef wellington (say 500g ) 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes is the ideal cook time.