The Tale of Two Wellingtons
Beef Wellington is a classic dish within the realm of British cuisine. Thanks to Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen television show and restaurant, the classic has become quite popular in recent years. The version made by Gordon Ramsay has a refined, elegant presentation, along with a very balanced flavor profile. He gave the classic a modern twist while sticking to the dish’s roots.
David Standridge, Executive chef at The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic, Connecticut offers “Welly Wednesdays” during the months of January and February. While his recipe takes a different path with ingredients, it pays a wonderful culinary homage to the British classic.
Let’s take a journey and see what these two incredible dishes have to offer diners who visit Hell’s Kitchen and The Shipwright’s Daughter.
Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” at Foxwoods Resort Casino:
Beef Wellington at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen.
Presentation: The Beef Wellington is cut in half to show the perfect mid-rare cook on the tenderloin. A silky-smooth potato puree creates a visual swipe beside the Wellington with some perfect spheres of root vegetables accompanying the two other components on the plate. In between the Wellington halves and potato puree is a pool of red wine demi-glace. Visually the plate is as appealing to the eyes as it is to the diner’s sense of smell.
Taste and texture: Upon cutting into the Beef Wellington the knife simply floats through the pastry covered beef like a hot knife through butter. The outer layer of pastry flakes apart showing its precision cook, while the inside layer of pastry is moist and packed with the flavors of Wellington’s other ingredients. One key to getting every flavor out of this dish is to get a forkful of beef, duxelles, prosciutto, and pastry coated with the red wine demi-glace. The flavors are nothing short of incredible, making your tastebuds dance around with multiple flavors. The seasoning is pure excellence and the temperature at which it is served makes for instant enjoyment.
David Standridge’s “The Shipwright’s Daughter” at The Whaler’s Inn, Mystic, Connecticut:
Beef Wellington for “Welly Wednesday” at The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic, CT.
Presentation: The Beef Wellington is made for two people (a single diner can order if the restaurant makes enough) so it is a large portion of Wellington. Before serving, the Wellington is brought out to the diner for a visual take of the beautiful culinary creation. The pastry is golden brown and wrapped in a very symmetrical pastry lattice. The Wellington is then taken back to the kitchen and cut into generous slices for service. The presentation is far more rustic than that of Hell’s Kitchen. Thick slices of Wellington are laid flat on the plate and liberally drizzled with the accompanying demi-glace with a few pieces of Potato Mille-Feuille to the side of the slices of Wellington.
Taste and texture: The tenderloin inside the Beef Wellington was more on the rare side, but that was to my liking. Each slice is visually rustic with the pastry blanketing the kale and veal mousseline wrapped tenderloin. Each bite was bursting with flavor and seasoned to perfection. The kale and veal in this Wellington recipe give it a unique flavor profile when compared to the classic recipe. The kale according to my palate gave it a slight bitterness. I felt this paired great with the strong duxelles and mousseline flavor. This Wellington will have you going back for forkful after forkful to let your tastebuds resonate with the culinary divinity of this dish. The Potato Mille-Feuille was crisp on the outside with creamy flavor packed layers underneath.
Overall, the Beef Wellingtons at Hell’s Kitchen and The Shipwright’s Daughter are delicious. While comparing the two aims to decide on a clear winner, I’ll leave that decision to each diner after trying them. I would go back for either one with equal excitement, ready to enjoy the world-class flavors and culinary excellence. These Wellington masterpieces are packed with flavor and represent the world-class culinary experience of both establishments. If you are a beef lover and enjoy the flavors of fine dining these dishes are a must try. Follow the recommendation of the experienced bartenders for wine and drink pairings and you are certain to build a little pocket of flavor memories in your brain for this timeless British classic.