Impress family and friends with our vegan wellington. Perfect for a special occasion or at Christmas, it’s packed with umami flavours and encased in pastry
Prep:1 hr and 30 mins
Serves 6
30g dried porcini or mixed wild mushrooms1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for roasting1 onion, chopped2 garlic cloves, chopped2 tbsp tomato purée1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting150ml red wine (ensure it’s vegan)4 tbsp vegan vegetable bouillon powder4 tsp yeast extract1 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp smoked paprika400g can black beans, undrained300g vital wheat gluten1 tbsp picked thyme leaves, plus extra to serve1 tbsp onion granules500g block vegan puff pastry1 tbsp cranberry sauce, plus extra to serve (ensure it’s vegan)almond milk, for glazing
STEP 1Tip the dried mushrooms into a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Leave to soak for 15-20 mins, then strain over a jug, pressing the mushrooms against the sieve with a wooden spoon to squeeze out all the liquid – you’ll need 500ml liquid, so top up with water if needed. Chop the mushrooms.STEP 2Heat the oil in a shallow pan over a medium heat, and cook the onions for 7 mins until starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then the chopped mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3 mins. Stir in half the tomato purée and the flour, and cook for 2 mins until a sticky paste forms. Pour in the wine and bubble for 2 mins until you have a gloopy paste, then the mushroom soaking liquid. Stir in 2 tbsp bouillon powder, half the yeast extract and half the soy sauce. Season, stir well and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. You should have a deeply flavoured gravy. Strain into a jug and set aside.STEP 3Tip the strained mushroom and onion mixture into a blender along with the paprika, black beans and the liquid from the can, the remaining tomato purée, 1 tbsp bouillon powder, the rest of the soy sauce and yeast extract and 100ml water. Blitz to a paste and set aside. Put the wheat gluten in a bowl and season well, then mix in the thyme leaves and onion granules. Tip the veg paste into the wheat gluten mixture, and bring everything together using your hands. Knead for 8-10 mins until rubbery, then shape into a 8 x 20cm sausage. Season. Wrap in an oiled sheet of foil and rest for 10 mins. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.STEP 4Put the wrapped sausage in a deep roasting tin. Dissolve the remaining bouillon powder in 500ml water, and pour into the tin around the sausage. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 30 mins, then flip the sausage over and roast for 30 mins more. Remove from the oven and leave, covered in the tin, until completely cooled. Will keep chilled for up to two days.STEP 5Cut off a quarter of the pastry and set aside. Roll the rest out into a rectangle large enough to wrap the sausage. Remove the sausage from the foil and brush all over with the cranberry sauce, then place it along one of the long edges of the pastry rectangle. Fold the shorter edges over the ends of the sausage, then roll the pastry up to enclose it. Put, seam-side down, on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Roll out the reserved pastry until large enough to cover the top of the wellington. Stamp out circles using a small round cutter and drape over the wellington, tucking it under at the edges. Brush the wellington all over with some almond milk. Chill for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs.STEP 6Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 6. Brush the wellington with more milk and sprinkle with thyme and sea salt. Bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins until golden and puffed up. Rest for 10 mins. Meanwhile, warm the gravy over a low heat. Carve the wellington into chunky slices. Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.
