Mushroom and Chestnut Wellington by Kathleen Corfield - The Ordinary Cook
1. Begin by making the filling as you will need to allow it to cool before you can assemble the wellington. Weigh the Lurpak® for the pastry, wrap in foil and place in the freezer for thirty minutes.
2. For the filling melt 40g of the Lurpak® in a large pan and gently fry the onions and garlic for three to five minutes until the onions are translucent. Turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms (no need to slice them unless they are large) and the remaining 20g of Lurpak® and fry again for a further five minutes. You want the mushrooms to have taken on a good brown colour with a little caramelisation. Add the tarragon and the chestnuts and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add the soy sauce and the sherry (or madeira or marsala) and allow to bubble away until the juices have reduced by half. Add the cream and bubble again for a minute or two. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool.
3. To make the pastry put the flour into a large bowl. Take the Lurpak® out of the freezer and, working quickly, grate the Lurpak® into the flour. Use a palette knife to coat the butter with the flour. Add enough cold water to mix (add the water gradually as you don’t want the pastry to be sticky) and continue using the palette knife to combine the pastry. Once it starts to come together briefly shape into a disc with your hands. Wrap in clingfilm or a food bag and place in the fridge for thirty minutes.
4. Place the cooled filling in a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky texture.
5. Roll the pastry out onto a well floured board to measure 40 × 35 cm.
6. Pile the filling in the middle of the pastry to form a sausage shape. Cut the overhanging pastry in each side into strips of 5cm and then take a strip from alternate sides to the top of the filling. Place onto a greased baking dish. You can now keep this in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Before cooking, beat an egg in a small bowl and brush over the top of the pie to glaze.
7. Cook in a preheated oven at 200°c, gas mark 6 or the roasting oven of the Aga for 30-35 minutes, turning once, until the pastry is golden. It is best to leave it to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
275g plain flour
225g unsalted Lurpak®
Pinch of salt
Cold water
1 egg to glaze
For the filling:
60g Lurpak®
250g shallots or onions, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g mushrooms (I like to use a variety, the tastier the better, but avoid button mushrooms as they have little taste)
200g cooked and peeled chestnuts
½ tsp dried tarragon
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sherry, Madeira wine or Marsala
3 tbsp double cream
100g breadcrumbs