Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington

Ingredients

• 4 large flat mushrooms
• olive oil
• thyme
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 small onions
• 2 sprigs chopped rosemary leaves
• 2 sprigs chopped thyme leaves
• 5 sage leaves
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 200 g baby spinach
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• puff pastry
• egg yolk
• sea salt flakes

Method

1. Trim the edges off four large flat mushrooms and set aside the scraps for the filling.
2. Place the mushrooms on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with thyme, season with salt and pepper, and add slices of garlic.
3. Bake the mushrooms in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.
4. While baking, chop 250 g chestnut mushrooms into quarters and process in a food processor with two peeled and quartered small onions and two roughly chopped garlic cloves until small and chopped but not smooth.
5. Heat 20-30 ml olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, cook the processed mushroom mixture for 5 minutes, then add chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage, cooking for 2 more minutes.
6. Pour in 250 ml vegetable stock, stir, then add 200 g baby spinach, cover with a lid, and cook for 4-5 minutes until wilted.
7. Remove baked mushrooms from oven and let cool.
8. Stir the wilted spinach mixture into the mushroom filling, then add 100 g breadcrumbs, cook for 2 minutes, and let cool.
9. Form the filling into individual portions using molds or rings, pressing mixture into the mold, placing a whole mushroom stalk side up, then covering with more filling, and shaping with parchment paper.
10. Roll out puff pastry to about 0.5 cm thickness, cut into four squares for four Wellingtons.
11. Remove the pastry from the fridge, brush edges with egg yolk, place filling in the center, and cover with another pastry square, sealing edges and trimming excess.
12. Use a fork to crimp the edges and a knife to shape into a round form, then place on parchment paper.
13. Brush the assembled Wellingtons with egg yolk, chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then brush again.
14. Poke a small hole in the top of each Wellington for steam to escape.
15. Optionally score the pastry with a paring knife, avoiding cutting through the glaze.
16. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
17. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 45-50 minutes until golden and crisp.
18. Let cool slightly, then cut into one to reveal the mushroom filling inside.