Serves 4
For the celeriac wellington
1x celeriac (about 1.2kg)- peeled
Olive oil for frying
500g chestnut mushrooms
1 small shallot- finely diced
½ a clove of garlic- finely crushed
1 whole clove of garlic- crushed gently in the skin
5g thyme
600g rolled puff pastry / or gluten free puff pastry/ or dairy free puff pastry
1x large leek
2 egg yolks, beaten with a little water and salt/ or dairy free milk alternative and corn flour
Salt and pepper
- Cut the celeriac into 4 thick slices and cut out 4 discs, about 3cm thick and around 9cm diameter. Wash the leek, and remove the root.
- Lightly season the celeriac, and steam alongside the leek for about 12-15 minutes, so the the celeriac is just cooked, and the leek is very tender.
- Make sure the celeriac is dry, and then heat a frying pan with a little oil over a medium heat. Add the celeriac, garlic, and thyme, and cook on both sides until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Dry the leek as best you can and then carefully make a cut, from top to bottom, but only cut halfway through. Gently peel the layers of leek off and place on the side.
- Finely chop the mushroom (a blender is the fastest method here). Gently fry the shallot with a generous amount of olive oil in a frying pan set over a medium heat, cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the mushrooms and a little seasoning, stir and continue to cook until there is no liquid in the pan and the mix is quite dry.
- Remove the duxelles from the pan and chill.
- Cut out 4 base discs of puff pastry, allowing an excess of 2cm around the celeriac. Then cut out 4 larger discs, which have a wide enough circumference to envelop the celeriac and join the base discs (about 18cm). Place in the fridge. Keep any excess pieces and make decorations if you would like.
- Place some strips of leek (overlapping slightly) on the chopping board to make a plus sign. Create a thin layer of duxelles on the celeriac, making sure it is entirely covered.
- Place the celeriac in the centre of the leek, and wrap the leek around. You are aiming to completely envelop the celeriac and duxelles, so you might need to trim the leeks if they were long.
- Take the puff pastry out of the fridge, and egg wash (or use a thin paste of cornflour and dairy free milk) one side. Place the wrapped beef in the centre of the smaller disc of pastry, then gently cover with the larger disc. Try to ensure that type pastry is tight to the celeriac, and then join the puff together at the bottom. If you have a lot of excess pastry, cut out again with a cutter, then crimp with a fork.
- Egg wash (or brush with dairy free milk) the outside of the wellington, and decorate if you would like. If you leave it plain, place it in the fridge to chill and allow the yolk to dry, you can lightly score the pastry to make a nice pattern.
- Pre-heat fan assisted over to 215 Deg Celsius, with a try inside.
- Place the wellington on a small square of parchment paper, and place onto the hot try in the oven. Cook for around 17 minutes.
For the mash
1kg potatoes peeled and chopped into large pieces
300g butter/ olive oil
100ml milk/ dairy free milk
salt and pepper.
- Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with salted water and cook until soft. Alternatively, steam until tender.
- Bring your milk to the boil and melt the butter.
- Mash or pass through a sieve.
- Add the melted butter, and enough milk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
For the spinach
400g washed spinach
Salt and pepper
- Gently steam over a pan of water, until just wilted. Drain off excess liquid through a sieve.
For the thyme jus
500ml chicken stock / vegetable stock
1 shallot- peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic- peeled and sliced
20g thyme
100ml wine
- Sweat the shallot and garlic with a little olive oil over a medium heat, until tender.
- Add the wine, and reduce the liquid down by 2/3.
- Add the stock and thyme, and reduce until you gain a sauce with a bit of body.
