Vegetarian Wellington Recipes

Steps:

• Wipe the portobello mushrooms clean using barely moistened paper towels. Remove the stems, then slice off the excess mushroom rim that curls over the gills. (You are making sure the stem side has a flat surface so it will sear properly.) Reserve the stems and scraps for use in Step 2. Brush the portobello mushroom caps on both sides with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high and cook the mushrooms, gill-side down, until caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook until softened, about 4 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, gill-side down, to cool.
• Prepare the mushroom filling: Separate and reserve any mushroom stems. Roughly chop about two-thirds of the mixed mushrooms, then working in batches, transfer the roughly chopped mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces. (They should range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size.) Transfer the chopped mushrooms to a large bowl. By hand, finely chop the remaining mixed mushrooms and stems and the reserved portobello mushroom stems and trimmings into 1/4-inch pieces; add them to the large bowl. (Chopping most of the mixed mushrooms in the food processor will save you some time, but you'll want to chop some by hand for texture.)
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. (You'll use this to quickly cool the cooked mushrooms in Step 4. If preparing in advance, you can simply let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.) Wipe out the skillet. Working in two batches, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add about half the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary, and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. (You'll add soy sauce later, so avoid overseasoning at this stage.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary.
• Once the second batch of chopped mushrooms is cooked and caramelized, return the first batch to the skillet. Add the port, soy sauce and thyme leaves and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. (If using balsamic vinegar instead of port, reduce the cook time to 1 to 2 minutes.) Transfer the mushroom mixture back to the medium bowl and stir in the walnuts. Set the bowl over the prepared ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally, at least 20 minutes.
• Prepare the cider-caramelized onions: Wipe out the skillet, then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cider and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, if using, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Unfold your thawed puff pastry and set it on the parchment. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a 13-by-16-inch rectangle. Transfer the parchment paper and puff pastry to a large sheet pan. Rotate the sheet pan, if needed, so that one of the 16-inch sides is closest to you. Arrange half the cooked mushroom mixture in a strip in the center of the puff pastry (it should be about 4-by-10 inches), leaving a 1½-inch border at the ends. Arrange the caramelized onions in a single, 3-inch-wide strip on top of the mushroom mixture, leaving about ½ inch of the mushrooms exposed on both sides. Lay the portobello mushrooms on top of the onions in a single line, stem-side down. (If the portobellos are too large to all fit in a row, square off edges so the cut sides lay snugly without overlapping.) Spoon the remaining mushroom mixture on top of the filling, covering the portobello mushrooms, then gently pack the mushroom mixture to form an even layer on top. (You can shape this the same way you might shape a freeform meatloaf.)
• To assemble, lift one side of the puff pastry over the mushroom filling to almost completely cover it. Brush the surface of the puff pastry covering the mushrooms with the beaten egg. Lift the remaining puff pastry flap over the egg-washed puff pastry, gently stretching it if need be to create a second layer of puff pastry on top, then gently press the top layer of pastry onto the lower layer using your fingertips to seal. Brush the insides of the short ends of the puff pastry and press to seal. Trim any parchment paper that extends beyond the sheet pan.
• Brush the exposed puff pastry on top with the remaining beaten egg. Decorate the top of the puff pastry as you like: Create a cross-hatch pattern by gently slicing through only the top layer of puff pastry in parallel lines, then cutting parallel lines in another direction. (Apply very little pressure, as you only want to cut through the top layer of puff pastry, not the second layer.) You can also slice small decorative vents in the puff pastry (be sure to slice all the way through both layers of puff pastry), or top with additional strips or shapes made from egg-washed puff pastry.
• Transfer to the middle rack in the oven and bake until puff pastry is deep golden and flaky, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes.
• While the Wellington bakes, prepare the optional port reduction: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the shallot, garlic and peppercorns, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the port, stock and thyme, and cook over medium-high until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids. (You should have about 1/2 cup sauce.) Cover and set aside until ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm the sauce over medium. Once warmed, whisk in the butter, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
• To serve the mushroom Wellington, cut it crosswise into 8 even slabs. (Each slab will include a pretty cross-section showcasing the halved portobello mushroom in the center; this is considered the presentation side.) Serve each piece presentation-side up. Pass with port reduction for drizzling on top.

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• 2. In a very large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. (If squash won't fit in a single layer, cook it in batches). Stir and continue to cook until squash is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the syrup, thyme, paprika and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook one minute. Scrape mixture into a bowl.
• 3. Turn the heat down to medium and melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in garlic and shallot; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and remaining salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft and their juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper and parsley. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• 4. On a lightly floured surface, unwrap the puff pastry. Cut into 2 5-by-15-inch rectangles. Spread mushrooms on each pastry rectangle leaving ¼-inch border. Spoon the cheese crumbles over the mushrooms. Then spoon the squash over the cheese, leaving a 1 ½-inch border (it will look like a stripe of squash lying on a bed of cheese and mushrooms).
• 5. Brush the exposed borders of dough on each rectangle with the egg wash. Fold the long sides up to meet in the middle and pinch together to seal; pinch the ends, too. Transfer the pastries to the baking sheet and turn them over so that the seam is face down. Brush the tops with more egg wash. Bake until they are puffed golden and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp oil, half the sage and some seasoning. Tip onto a baking tray and roast for 25 mins until tender.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the shallots for 10 mins until tender. Add the mushrooms and fry for 15 mins until softened, and the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the garlic and remaining sage to the mushrooms, fry for a minute, then add the double cream. Stir until it coats the mushrooms and no liquid remains. Fold in the breadcrumbs, mace, chestnuts and roast squash. Season everything well, adding a grating of nutmeg. Leave to cool before assembling the wellington.
• Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface to a 35 x 45cm rectangle. Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet with one of the long lengths of the pastry facing towards you. Spoon the mushroom and squash mixture down the length of the pastry, leaving a 7cm border along the top and 1cm on both sides. Brush all the exposed pastry with beaten egg.
• Put the beetroots in a line down the middle of the filling - they should be touching. Fold the filling-covered, long length of the pastry over the beets, using the paper to help you. Roll up and trim the pastry with a knife when it's overlapping by 1cm.
• Place the wellington seal-side down, and pinch the ends to seal. Egg wash the whole thing and use a fork or blunt cutlery knife to score the pastry in a pretty pattern. Chill until for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the wellington with more beaten egg, sprinkle with the sesame or poppy seeds and bake for 45-50 mins until golden brown and puffed up. Leave to rest for 10 mins before carving into chunky slices with a sharp knife to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• On a baking sheet, drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway, until the squash is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• On another baking sheet, spread out the kidney beans and chestnuts. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the excess moisture has released and the beans begin to crack down the middle. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Prepare the duxelle (mushroom mixture): In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter begins to foam, add the shallot, mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates from the mushrooms and they begin to turn golden brown. Transfer the duxelle to a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Return the pan to the stove (no need to clean), and heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the frozen spinach. Break the spinach up with a wooden spoon and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is toasted and the spinach is warmed through. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Return the same pan back to the stove over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and beginning to turn golden brown. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and the sage and sauté for 1 minute more, or until the garlic is just fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and bread. Stir until the bread is well-coated, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Transfer the bread mixture to a food processor. Add in the roasted kidney beans and chestnuts and vegetable stock. Pulse a few times, until just combined. (The mixture should be an even consistency but still have texture to it. It should stick together when pressed in your palm). Transfer the bread mixture to a large bowl. Gently stir in the roasted butternut squash and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of puff pastry into rectangle slightly smaller than the prepared baking sheet. Transfer 1 piece of the pastry to the baking sheet and set the other piece aside.
• Assemble the Wellington: Spread the cooled duxelle lengthwise down the middle of the puff pastry on the baking sheet, creating a rectangle the size that you want your wellington to be. Make sure to leave about a 2-inch border at both ends of the pastry. (You will be removing all excess dough and using it for decorations.)
• Next, arrange half of the bell peppers over the duxelle. Make sure they lay flat, only overlap on the edges, and completely cover the mushrooms.
• Top the bell pepper layer with the roasted squash and bread mixture by using your hands to pack the mixture into a loaf, making sure it doesn't go over the edges of the peppers.
• Layer the remaining roasted peppers evenly over the bread mixture.
• Top the peppers with the spinach mixture. (This will be a bit messy, but it's okay, it's part of the process!)
• Gently roll the second piece of pastry over the spinach layer, creating a blanket over all of the vegetable layers. Press the pastry gently around the filling to create a log shape. Trim the pastry so that there is about a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border around the log.
• Fold the bottom layer of the pastry over the top layer and seal the dough together with a decorative crimp. Cut decorative shapes from the dough scraps and arrange over the log. Using a paring knife, cut a few vents into your wellington to allow steam to escape. You can hide the vents along the edges of your decorations.
• Generously brush the top and sides of the wellington with the beaten egg.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
• Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!