Veggie 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 500g of puff pastry 1 egg 2 tbs of milk 3 pinches of salt 2 pinches of pepper 2½ tbs of vegetable oil Herby mash
10 large Maris piper potatoes 175g of half fat crème fraîche 25g of butter 2 tbs of parsley, chopped 2 tbs of chives, chopped 1 pinch of salt 1 pinch of pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6. 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 flavour. 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 into a paste.
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. 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. Bake for 45 minutes until puffed up, golden brown and hot through the middle.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a gentle boil.
Cook for approximately 12-15 minutes or until tender. Strain and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Tip back into the pot and mash together with the light crème fraiche, butter, salt and pepper.
Using a wooden spoon, mix in the chives and parsley. To serve, slice up the Wellington and serve on a bed of the herby mash and your preferred vegetarian gravy.