Vegetarian Wellington
Time & Yield
Yield: 10 Servings
Time: If you are making your own puff start the day before, the day-of cooking will take approximately 2 1/2 hours for all the elements to bake and cool properly
Ingredients
VEGETARIAN WELLINGTON
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm chunks
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked
1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
100g of chestnuts, peeled and chopped, optional
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 lemon, zest and juice
10g of butter
250g of button mushrooms, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled
200g of curly kale
200g of baby spinach
50g of pine nuts
1 egg
2 tbsp of milk
3 pinches of salt
2 pinches of pepper
2 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil
PUFF PASTRY
1 packet of puff pastry*
We make homemade so included the recipe here
3 ½ to 4 cups (420g to 482g) flour
4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, chilled
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cup (283g) cold water
32 tbsp (454g) unsalted butter, room temp
Recipe
To make puff pastry, follow the instructions until #11. Alternatively, store-bought can also be used: Measure the flour (3 ½ to 4 cups; 420g-482g) into a mixing bowl. Remove ½ cup of flour and set it aside in another bowl. Take the half stick of chilled butter (4 tbsp; 57g) and cut it into small pieces. Drop the butter into the flour. With two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal
Add the salt (1 tsp) to the water (1¼ cup; 283g) and add this to the flour and chilled butter mixture. Mix gently with a fork until you have a rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you need to add more water, do it a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and the gluten has been somewhat developed, about 2 or 3 minutes. Pat the dough into a 9" square and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Take the remainder of the butter (32 tbsp; 454g) and the reserved flour (½ cup) and mix the two together until they're well blended and smooth. You can do this with a mixer, a food processor, with a spoon, or by hand. Pat this butter/flour mixture into an 8" square on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Cover it with second sheet of waxed paper and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and put it on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it into a square about 12" on each side. You don't have to be obsessive about the dimensions, but come pretty close
Once everything has chilled, arrange the dough as a square in front of you. Then place the chilled butter in the center of the dough rotated such that it resembles a diamond shape placed within the larger square of dough, instead of simply placing a smaller square within a larger square. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter until they meet in the middle. Pinch and seal the edges of the dough together (you should be left with a diamond shaped dough in front of you)
Turn the dough over and tap it gently with your rolling pin or by hand into a rectangular shape. (Make sure everything is still completely, but lightly, floured.) If the dough begins to feel too soft, cover it, put it on a small baking sheet, and refrigerate it for 15 minutes
Roll the dough into a larger rectangle, 20" x 10". As you work, keep the dough, the table, and the rolling pin well dusted with flour. Turn the dough over from time to time to keep the layers even. Again, you don't have to be obsessive about the dimensions, but come pretty close
When the dough is the right size, brush any excess flour off the top, and fold the bottom third of the dough up to the center and the top third over (like a business letter). Line the corners up as neatly as you can; if they need help sticking together, dab them with a little water, and turn the dough package 1/4 turn to the right so it looks like a book ready to be opened. If the dough is still cold and relaxed, do another rolling and turning the same way. (Again, if it begins to feel too soft, cover it, put it on a small baking sheet, and refrigerate it for 15 minutes to chill)
If you've successfully rolled it out and folded it twice, you've completed two turns. Classic puff pastry gets six. Continue refrigerating it after each two turns (or more often if necessary) until all six turns are completed. Keep track of how many turns you've made
When all six turns are done, put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour (and preferably overnight) before shaping
WELLINGTON FILLING PREP
Preheat the oven to 395F
Add the sweet potato to a large roasting tray with a good splash of olive oil
Using a pestle and mortar, bash the rosemary and thyme lightly for 1-2 minutes to release the flavor. Scatter over the sweet potato
Cover the tray with tin foil and place in the oven for approximately 45 minutes until soft. Remove and allow to cool
Meanwhile, place a saucepan over a medium heat and add a dash of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Gently cook the onions, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly browned
Add the crumbled chestnuts to the pan and cook for further 2 minutes
Toast the bread until dark and golden and drizzle with a small dash of olive oil. Tear into small chunks and set aside
Add the torn toast to the pan with the onions, stir to combine. Stir in the lemon zest and remove the pan from the heat
For the mushrooms, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until all the liquid from the mushrooms has cooked off and they are soft
Squeeze in a little lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the contents into a blender and blitz
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Tear the kale into small pieces and cook for 2 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain and set aside
In a bowl, mix the kale and spinach with the pine nuts, a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
ASSEMBLY
Now assemble your Wellington. Roll out the puff pastry on a sheet of baking parchment until approximately 30cm x 40cm, then spread the mushroom mixture on top
Toss together the spinach, sweet potato and onion-bread mixture. Spoon it in a thick line down the middle of the pastry, leaving a gap at either side so you can join up the edges of the Wellington
Hold one side of the baking parchment and lift it, with the pastry, towards the centre of the Wellington so the filling is half covered
Peel the baking parchment back, leaving the pastry in place, then repeat with the other side. The pastry should overlap in the middle
Beat the egg with the milk and brush it over the pastry to seal the join
Fold up the ends so the filling doesn't leak out, then carefully roll the Wellington onto a baking sheet, with the seal underneath. Brush all over with the remainder of the egg mix
BAKING
Bake for 45 minutes until puffed up, golden brown and hot through the middle
Source: Great British Chefs