Mushroom and lentil wellington
PREPARATION TIME 40 minutes, plus 2 hours cooling and resting time COOKING TIME 30 minutes SERVES 6 to 8 INGREDIENTS
● 470g washed and sliced brown mushrooms ● pinch of sea salt ● 2 tbsp vegan butter
● 160g finely diced yellow onion ● 67g finely diced celery ● 128g finely diced carrot ● 10g crushed garlic ● 125ml vegan white wine
● 396g canned green lentils ● 57g roughly chopped walnuts ● 2 sheets vegan puff pastry
● 1 tbsp (15ml) tamari sauce ● 1 tbsp (15ml) plant milk
METHOD
1 Place your mushrooms in a large, dry skillet over a medium-high heat and stir frequently for 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle in the salt. Your mushrooms will release water, become soft and shrink. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Set it aside.
2 In a separate skillet, heat the vegan butter and add the onion, celery and carrot. Sauté them for 5-7 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Wait for 2 minutes, then add the sautéed mushrooms to the warm skillet and remove it from the heat.
3 Mash 198g of the green lentils with the back of a fork; keep the other cup of lentils intact. Stir the lentils into the pan, then add the walnuts and allow the mixture to cool for at least 1 hour.
4 In the meantime, bring your puff pastry sheets to room temperature, so they can soften and become easier to unroll.
5 Once cooled down, spoon the mixture onto the middle of an unrolled puff pastry sheet in a log shape – or any desired shape you wish to createfl Ensure the mixture is tightly packed within the pastry sheet.
6 Sprinkle a little water or plant milk on the pastry edges around the log, then gently place a second puff pastry sheet on top and press the edges against the bottom sheet to seal. Use a sharp knife to remove any excess pastry. Crimp the edges between your fingers or use a fork to seal them.
7 Use any leftover scraps of puff pastry to decorate your wellington. You can score it or cut out little puff pastry shapes; dab them with a little plant milk to add them onto your log.
8 Rest the wellington in your fridge or freezer for a minimum of 1 hour, then preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C/Gas Mark 4 and place a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
9 For the vegan egg wash, combine the tamari and plant milk in a small bowl. Brush it onto your wellington. Roast the wellington for 25-30 minutes, or until it is beautifully golden on the outside. Serve with your choice of side dishes.