Celeriac Wellington
Create a vegetarian centerpiece with this meat-free wellington with celeriac, mushroom and leek wrapped in pastry. It's ideal for a celebration and would sure impress your guests.
Substitutes:
- No celeriac? Try butternut squash or beetroot instead.
- No cavolo nero? Use spinach or kale instead.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 80 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
For the wellington:
1 Celeriac (small )
1 Leek
300 g Mushrooms (any)
2 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Dried thyme
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 ready rolled puff pastry
1 Egg (or plant based milk )
For the mash:
2 Medium size potato (peeled and chopped into chunks)
50 g Unsalted butter
50 ml Milk of choice
For the cavolo nero:
100 g Cavolo nero
1 tbsp Olive oil
For the onion gravy:
1 Onion (chopped)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 Garlic clove (chopped)
1 tsp Plain flour
50 ml Red wine
250 ml Vegetable stock
2 tbsp Cranberry sauce
Recipe:
- Peel and cut the celeriac into 2 slices, about 4 cm thick, and around 9 cm diameter. Wash the leek, and cut off the root. Boil the celeriac and whole leek for 8 minutes, then remove from boiling water and dry on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. The celeriac should be just cooked and leek very tender.
- Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add the celeriac slices and cook on both sides until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the leek from top to bottom, but only cut halfway through. Gently peel the layers of leek off and place on the side.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic to a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Add to a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook until there is no liquid in the pan and the mix is quite dry. Set aside to cool.
- Roll out the puff pastry and cut 4 discs; 2 discs of about 11 cm (just slightly bigger than the celeriac) and 2 discs of about 18 cm (big enough to envelop the celeriac). If the pastry is too small, use a rolling pin to roll it out a little finer. Make decorations with the excess puff pastry such as leaves or little stars. If you have small cookie cutters you can use them. Place in the fridge.
- For the mash; place the potatoes in a pan, cover with salted water and cook until soft. Mash and mix in the butter and milk. Season to taste.
- For the cavolo nero: Remove the stems and pan fry with a little olive oil until wilted. Season to taste.
- For the gravy: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a small saucepan, and sweat the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Add the flour, and cook for a minute, stirring often. Add the red wine and the stock. Cook the gravy for 10 minutes, over low heat, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened then mix in the cranberry sauce.
- Working on a chopping board, overlap 2 or 3 leek slices to make a plus sign. Do this twice. Cover the celeriac slices with a thin layer of mushroom mixture and place in the center of the leek. Wrap the leek around tightly, making sure to completely envelop the celeriac and mushrooms.
- Take the puff pastry out of the fridge. Place the smaller discs on a lined baking tray. Place the wrapped celeriac on top and egg wash (or use plant based milk) all round. Then gently cover with the larger discs, making sure the pastry is pressed tightly around the celeriac. Join the puff together at the bottom, cut out any excess pastry into a close circle and crimp with a fork. Place over the pastry decorations you prepared earlier and egg wash all over.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and beautifully golden. Serve alongside the mash, wilted greens and gravy.
How to store
You can make the wellington ahead of time. Store uncooked in the fridge, then bake when ready to eat. When cooked, store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
