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Wild game Wellington
Park City-based Pastry Chef Shirley Butler Bordas shares her recipe for a stunning backstrap Wellington that's easier to prepare than it looks
Darby Doyle
Communications Team Coordinator
Although she's lived in Park City for well over a decade, Riverhorse on Main Pastry Chef Shirley Butler Bordas is originally from the village of Saxilby (near Lincoln, England), and she has served dozens of beef and wild game Wellington variations over the years. Traditional beef Wellington is an elaborate presentation of seared tenderloin, coated with a layer of duxelles (sautéed minced mushrooms) and other savory ingredients, then wrapped in a pastry crust and baked until perfectly medium rare.
I recently shared a pronghorn backstrap with Chef Bordas, which she used to prepare a scrumptious wild game Wellington for Sunday night supper with friends. Although Wellingtons of all kinds are famously finicky — there are a lot of components that need to be perfectly timed so you don't end up with under- or over-cooked meat or a soggy crust — she recommends some shortcuts that home cooks can use to minimize the room for error:
- Since backstrap diameter and weight can vary widely by the species and age of the animal harvested, it's crucial not to overcook the backstrap during the initial sear. Check for final doneness during baking by using a meat thermometer.
- It's important to cool the meat between searing it and baking it in the pastry crust, both to keep the meat from overcooking and to avoid a soggy crust.
- Many recipes call for adding a layer of prosciutto, thin crêpe and/or foie gras pâté to the tenderloin before wrapping in pastry. These additions add flavor to what's usually a rather bland cut of beef, and help contain juices. Because wild game is very flavorful and lean, Chef Bordas skips this step when using a backstrap, and the results are equally delicious.
- Yes, you can make your own puff pastry, but there are very good frozen versions available at most supermarkets. (She used Whole Foods puff pastry for the version photographed here.) Make sure the pastry is thawed following the directions on the box before using.
- Use flaky Maldon or coarse sea salt for both seasoning and for a final sprinkle on the pastry crust before serving.
Shirley Butler Bordas' Wild Game Wellington
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 venison, elk or pronghorn backstrap portion (about 1½ pounds), trimmed of all silverskin and fat
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms (any mixture of button, brown cremini, portobello and/or wild mushrooms)
- ⅓ cup brandy or cognac
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 14-ounce sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, slightly beaten and mixed with 1 teaspoon water
Directions
Step 1: Sear the backstrap
- Sprinkle salt and pepper generously over all sides of the backstrap. If the backstrap is large or unevenly shaped, wrap it with butcher's twine to make it an evenly shaped cylinder.
- In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and briefly sear the backstrap on all sides until browned but still very rare (about 1½ minutes per side).
- Set the backstrap on a plate to rest, and cool in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the pastry.
Step 2: Make the duxelles
- Using the same heavy skillet you seared the backstrap in, melt the butter. When it's bubbly and starting to foam, add the shallot and mushrooms.
- Brown the mushrooms thoroughly, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Cook until all the liquid is released and they start to sizzle a bit (about 8-9 minutes).
- Add the brandy and stir, cooking until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Add the cream and thyme, stir to combine and cook until the mushroom mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and let cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the pastry.
Step 3: Prepare the pastry crust
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet, lay it on a flat surface and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin to seal any cracks.
- Depending on the length and thickness of your backstrap, you'll cut the puff pastry sheet along the long or short axis (so that the entire backstrap will be encased). Cut the pastry sheet into two unequal pieces, planning for about ⅓ of the sheet for one piece and ⅔ for the other.
Step 4: Assemble the Wellington
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Move the smaller piece of pastry to the baking sheet.
- Spread half of the duxelles lengthwise down the center of the pastry sheet, covering the pastry approximately the length and width of the backstrap; do not spread the duxelles all the way to the edges of the pastry.
- Important: If you used butcher's twine when you seared the backstrap, remove it at this point.
- Place the seared backstrap on top of the duxelles.
- Mound the remaining duxelles on top of the backstrap, covering it in an even layer.
- Place the larger puff pastry piece on top of the backstrap, centering it so that the edges drape over equally around the meat. Gently press the puff pastry against the duxelles mixture and along the bottom pastry sheet so there are no pockets of air.
- Trim excess pastry around the base of the enclosed backstrap, leaving at least 1 inch of pastry around the base to seal. (Reserve the pastry scraps for decoration.) Crimp the sealed bottom edges of pastry together by gently pressing down with the tines of a fork.
- Brush the pastry on all sides with egg wash. Use excess pastry trim to decorate the Wellington as desired, and brush those additions with egg wash. Cut a small hole in the top center of the pastry crust to vent. (This is also the perfect spot to insert a meat thermometer to check doneness.)
Step 5: Bake, rest and serve
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Bake the Wellington at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the beckstrap registers 130 degrees for medium rare. (The temperature will rise slightly during resting.)
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle the crust with flaky sea salt. Allow the Wellington to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
