On the occasion of Valentine's Day 2023 we've planned a very special evening. This fun and creative class offers guests the opportunity to learn the intricacies of preparing their very own celebratory Beef Wellington with an introduction to the deft skills required of the crafts of butchery and pastry. A unique Valentine’s experience. We recommend learning side-by-side with your other half, a great friend or presenting the class as a treat to a loved one (or yourself). If giving as a gift, you will be forgiven for a rather hefty nudge, nudge, that you’re looking forward to tasting the resulting Wellington soon. Afterall, you don’t need to be together on Valentine’s Day when you have 364 other days to enjoy together.
MORE ABOUT THE CLASS
The 800 g centre cut beef fillets will be seared the day before in preparation for your arrival so we can ensure they are at the correct temperature for the following steps. You will be shown how to wrap 800g of beef fillet in Duxelles (a mushroom and shallot mix), thin slices of Parma ham and pastry before attempting your very own. Finally, we invite you to get creative. You will learn how to decorate your beef wellington with delicate pastry cuttings, before wrapping your handiwork and tucking into a roast beef dinner.
MEAT TO BE TAKEN HOME
Each participant will take home a 1 kg Hand Crafted Beef Wellington (to serve 4-5 people)
DINNER ON THE EVENING
A freshly cook roast beef dinner, with a creamy potato gratin and green salad. Followed by a velvety bread and butter pudding for dessert. All washed down with St Johns wine.
COST PER ATTENDEE:
£225.00 per person or 1 x Butchery Class Voucher B
LOCATION:
Marylebone
DATE:
Tuesday 14th February 2023
TIME:
19:00-22:30
HOW TO BOOK:
Please contact Sara on butcheryclasses@thegingerpig.co.uk or 0203 8697804 (Mon-Fri) and she will be able to book you in and take payment.
BEEF WELLINGTON ORIGIN STORY
It is generally agreed that the dish was created in celebration of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18 1815. The Duke was given his title after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte the year before, and not long after he became Prime Minister. Such an iconic character needed immortalising, so (naturally) they named a pastry ensconced beef dish after him.
Wrapping meat in pastry has been a favoured culinary technique in many countries for many centuries- The Greeks were the first to wrap a flour and water paste around their meat to seal it before cooking, and the Cornish Pasty has been around since the 14th Century. However, the Beef Wellington most closely resembles the French filet de boeuf en croute and may well have been renamed the Beef Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo – rather than being a dish specifically created for the Duke of Wellington.
Some of the most popular theories for why the dish was named the Wellington, after the Duke of Wellington are:
1) Arthur Wellesley wasn’t fussed about what he ate and let his chef create whatever he liked – his chef liked creating Wellingtons.
2) The finished dish looks a bit like a Wellington Boot, hence the name.
3) The dish is French but was renamed during the wars with France.
