Thu, 7 December 2023
This Christmas why not try a plant-based alternative, and for those of you that say you couldn’t live without meat, then why not try this “beefless” wellington. It’s a soy protein-based loin from a company called juicy marbles. It looks like a fillet and behaves scarily similar to meat but with lesser impact to the environment and packs that traditional wellington flavour we are all used to, so let’s get cooking.
INGREDIENTS:
· 1x juicy marbles loin
· 1x sheet of puff pastry, 30cm x 40cm
· 500g mushrooms, minced in food processor.
· 1 red onion, minced in the food processor too.
· 3 garlic cloves crushed and minced.
· 100ml white wine
· 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped.
· 1 tbsp Wholegrain mustard
· Olive oil
· plant based milk with a little maple syrup, for “egg-wash”.
· Seasoning
METHOD:
1. Method for the mushroom duxelles: Heat a nonstick pan. Add olive oil, onions, mushrooms, thyme and salt to the pan and sautee for about 5 minutes. Next add garlic and white wine to the pan. Continue to sautee for about 10 more minutes, or until all the water has evaporated and the mushroom paste starts browning. When the paste is done cooking transfer to a bowl to cool. (its important that everything is cool)
2. Method for the loin prep: Salt and pepper your loin generously on each side. Heat a nonstick pan and add some oil. When the oil is hot add the whole loin to the pan. Sear for about 2 minutes on each side on low-medium heat, until each side is slightly browned and crispy. Then remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Assembling the Wellington: When all Wellington ingredients have completely cooled (I can’t emphasise this enough that everything needs to be cool) we can now assemble the Wellington. Your puff pastry should be at room temperature so it will be easy to roll out. Roll out your puff pastry (make sure there is a piece of wax paper between the puff pastry and board, otherwise it will stick together). Gently stretch the sides of the dough so it will be more then large enough to wrap around the loin whole loin.
4. Arrange a layer the mushroom stuffing in a square in the middle of the dough while leaving about 6cm/2inches of space empty around the edges. Next put the the loin on top of the mushrooms, with the rounded top of the loin on the mushrooms and the flat side facing you. Next very gently bring each side of the of the pastry around the loin wrapping it like a burrito. Use wax paper to help tightly bring the dough, mushrooms around the loin. Bring the long sides together first and then bring the small sides up, like your wrapping a present. Try to roll it as tightly as possible into a cylinder shape, so when it cooks the mushroom duxelle stays around the loin and doesn’t fall into the sides.
5. Keep the Wellington tightly wrapped in the wax paper and put it in the freezer to cool for 20 minutes, or if preparing the Wellington a day before cooking but it in the fridge. If using wax paper you can tightly wrap a plastic bag or cling film around the wax paper to help it keep its shape before putting it in the freezer . Preheat the oven to 200C°. Prepare an oven tray with wax paper. Take the Wellington out of the freezer, unwrap it and put it on the oven tray.
6. In a small bowl add some drops of maple syrup and milk (this is your egg-wash). Brush the entire puff pastry with the oil and then sprinkle some sea salt salt over it. If you want you can mark your pastry by very gently and lightly cutting some lines into the top of the dough without breaking the dough. Bake the Wellington for 30 minutes. The pastry should look nice and browned and crispy when it’s done. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before digging in, enjoy!
