Recipe: Beef and Chestnut Wellingtons are the perfect alternative to turkey this Christmas

These individual Wellingtons are ready in an hour and are sure to impress - on Christmas Day, or any day

If you’re planning a smaller Christmas this year, or you just want to try something different, how about an alternative to traditional turkey?

Originally said to be created in celebration of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June 1815, the Beef Wellington is once again having a bit of a ‘moment’ on social media.

Wrapping meat in pastry has been a favoured culinary technique in many countries for many centuries, but that doesn’t make it look any less impressive, and Instagram is awash with homemade creations from cooks keen to demonstrate their lattice cutting skills.

If you fancy a simpler version that you can make in under an hour, look no further than these cute individual Beef and Chestnut Wellingtons, perfect for an alternative Christmas main or New Year dinner party.

Don’t panic if you can’t find chestnuts, you could try walnuts or hazelnuts instead – and these Wellingtons use ready-made puff pastry, so they really couldn’t be easier.

And shopping for the ingredients couldn’t be easier, either, thanks to the excellent news that Prime members in Manchester can now experience a new Click & Collect service when shopping ‘Morrisons on Amazon’.

Available at selected Morrisons stores across Greater Manchester, it means you can order all the ingredients you need in a few clicks, and then get your groceries in minutes without even leaving your car – as soon as an hour from ordering.

Individual Beef and Chestnut Wellingtons

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
200g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and finely chopped
200g chestnuts, cooked, peeled and roughly chopped (if you can’t find chestnuts, try walnuts or hazelnuts instead)
4 beef fillet steaks, 200g approx
400g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Total time required: 1 hr

(Preparation time: 25 mins; cooking time: 35 mins)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook over a gentle heat until softened then add the chestnuts. Season and stir then blitz in a food processor until almost smooth.

Season and oil the steaks. Seal them in a hot pan for 1 minute each side. Allow to cool.

Divide the pastry into 4 and roll out to a square large enough to enclose a steak. Place a steak on each square of pastry then spoon chestnut mix on top of each steak.

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg then fold the pastry over the steak. Trim the edges as needed and press down with a fork to seal. Re-roll any leftover pastry and cut out leaves to decorate.

Lift onto a baking tray, brush the Wellingtons with the remaining egg and bake for 25 minutes until golden and piping hot all the way through.

Recipe from Morrisons.

This article was first published on 16 December 2021 and is subject to be updated from time to time. Please refresh or return to see the latest version.
Last updated 3 years ago.

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