Mushroom Wellington Food

MUSHROOM WELLINGTON RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until crumbly, 10-12 times. Be careful not to over-process.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and sauté until the onions are translucent and most of the broth has evaporated.
• Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes more, or until fragrant.
• Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and sauté until most of the liquid has released from the mushrooms and evaporated, 10-12 minutes.
• Push the sautéed veggies to the sides of the pan and add a bit more olive oil to the center. Sauté the thyme in the oil until fragrant, then incorporate into the rest of mixture.
• Add the spinach and sauté until wilted.
• Grease an 18 x 13-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out puff pastry sheet to fit the baking sheet. Transfer the puff pastry to the pan.
• In center third of the pastry, add a layer of potato slices. Top with half of the mushroom mixture and spread in an even layer, about ¾-inch thick. Add another layer of potatoes and the rest of the mushrooms, and top with a final layer of potatoes.
• Fold one side of pastry over the filling, then the other side. Seal the top and bottom ends over the filling. Score the top of the Wellington diagonally with a sharp knife.
• In a ramekin or small bowl, combine the non-dairy milk with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Brush over the Wellington. Decorate with more pastry, if desired. Poke air vents in the side of the Wellington.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. until golden brown and puffed.
• Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into thick slices.
• Serve with vegan gravy.
• Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

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.

MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry into two rectangles, 23x30.5cm each, cover and place in the fridge.
• To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion with half the crushed garlic for at least 20 minutes or until it turns a deep golden colour. This is crucial, as pale onions will give an insipid mix.
• Remove onions from the pan and set aside, then add the mushrooms to the same pan with the rest of the garlic and half the tarragon and cook on afairly high heat. Halfway through cooking, add the soya sauce or tamari and the alcohol, if you are using it.
• Continue until the mushrooms are cooked through; there should be no white centre left when you cut one open. Season with salt and pepper.
• Set aside, reserving all the mushroom liquor (the intensely flavoured liquid given out by the mushrooms).
• In a food processor or blender, blend the cashews with the reserved mushroom liquor to a fine, smooth purée, adding a little water or even more of whichever alcohol you are using, until you have a smooth, sweet paste or pate.
• Remove mixture from the blender and blend first the onions, then mushrooms - you can mix them up if you wish - until they are perfectly smooth.
• Mix all the blended ingredients together in a bowl, adding the breadcrumbs, ground almonds and the remaining tarragon. The mixture should gently hold its shape when formed with the hands.
• Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Divide the mixture in two and place one lot on a sheet of pastry, shaping with your hands as you go to make a long rectangular shape about 28cm long, 7cm wide and about 5cm high.
• With the thin point of a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts at a 45-degree angle, starting from the left hand corner of the pastry towards the pate mixture. Repeat on the other side, this time starting at the top right hand corner and cutting down towards the centre. The strips should now be about 2cm apart.
• Fold in the end pieces first. Then draw a strip over from the left, then one from the right, crossing them over (you can tug lightly at the strips if you need to) so the mix is snugly wrapped up. Repeat for the second wellington.
• Either freeze at this stage or glaze generously with beaten egg.
• Place upon a floured tray, using two fish slices or the loose base of a tart tin to help you.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until golden.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes before attempting to lift onto a serving dish. Once again you'll need the help of some implements.
• Allow 2 perfect slices per person, cut with a very sharp serrated or electric knife.

EASY VEGAN WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour over 500ml boiling water from the kettle. Stir and press them down so they're well covered, then leave to soak.
• Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the onion and chestnut mushrooms until the veg is very soft and the mushrooms look wilted and reduced, about 20 mins.
• Stir in the garlic and sweet potatoes, then the rehydrated mushrooms and their soaking liquid, leaving the last dregs of the liquid in the bowl (this may contain grit from the mushrooms). Cover and cook for 15 mins until the sweet potatoes are just softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add a splash more water halfway through if the liquid evaporates too quickly.
• Remove the lid and stir in the chopped herbs, breadcrumbs, molasses, nuts and cranberries. Season well and sprinkle in the nutmeg. The mixture should be stiff enough to resemble stuffing, but not dry - all the breadcrumbs should be coated and have absorbed some of the liquid. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan.
• Once cool, unroll one of the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured non-stick baking sheet or baking tray lined with baking parchment. Whisk the milk and mustard together with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Spoon the cooled filling down the middle of the pastry sheet in a neat line, leaving a 5cm border around the edges. Use the mustard-milk mix to brush the borders, then top with the second pastry sheet. Press the pastry around the filling to remove any air pockets, then crimp to seal the sides. Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife and use a fork or your fingers to make a pattern around the edge of the wellington.
• Cut a small steam hole in the top of the middle, then brush the top with the mustard-milk mix. Chill on the sheet or tray for 30 mins. Will keep in the fridge for up to two days.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the wellington from the fridge and brush with more of the mustard-milk mix. Score a pattern into the top of the pastry with a cutlery knife or fork, if you like, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden, puffed up and crisp - cover with foil if it's browning too quickly. Arrange the whole sage leaves on top of the wellington and stick them down with the mustard-milk mix, then return to the oven for 10 mins more.
• Leave to rest on a board or platter for 10 mins before cutting into chunky slices to serve.

CHICKEN & MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Steps:

• To make the filling, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until sizzling, then fry the mushrooms for 8 mins until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, thyme and lemon juice, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 1 min more until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Season, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Tip the mixture into a bowl with the soft cheese and mustard, then beat everything together with a wooden spoon. Put in the fridge while you prepare the chicken. Will keep covered in the fridge for up to a day.
• Lay the chicken breasts out on a board, open out slightly, then bash gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness. Season and set aside. Unravel the pastry sheet and cut out a 16cm rectangle and an 18cm one. Lay the smaller rectangle on a sheet of baking parchment and brush with a little of the beaten egg. Lay one of the chicken breasts on top, smooth-side down. Spoon over the mushroom mixture and top with the second breast, smooth-side up, so the thicker sides of the breasts are at opposite ends to each other. Brush the exposed pastry border and the top of the chicken with more of the beaten egg, then drape over the larger pastry rectangle and tuck it in so the chicken is snugly enclosed. Trim the excess pastry into an oval, leaving a 4cm border, then crimp the border with a fork to seal. Re-roll any trimmings and use them to decorate the wellington, if you like (see tip, below). Chill for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 6½ with a baking tray inside. Brush the wellington all over with most of the remaining beaten egg. Carefully lift it on its baking parchment onto the hot baking tray and bake for 25 mins, then brush with the remaining beaten egg and season with sea salt. Bake for another 10-15 mins until light golden brown. Rest for 5 mins before carefully carving in half.