Lynton, Lynmouth and Exmoor Advertiser, December 2019

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DECEMBER 2019 17
Christmas 2019
The temperature outside is dropping, and the landscape is changing colour – winter is upon us. Our
thoughts have turned to warm, hearty food, and of course to Christmas. This year, alongside the turkey,
we’re serving a vegetarian alternative for our festive feast. Rather than the traditional nut roast, we’ve
decided on a show stopping mushroom, lentil and red wine Wellington. With the centrepieces sorted, all
that's left is to bring the vegetables to life. Gone are the days of boring boiled veg; nowadays flavour and
texture are king, and veg can be the star of the show! Our growers have been planning, planting, and
tending for the best part of a year, making sure everything is ready for the big day, so we really want to
make their Christmas crops sing. Stir-frying your sprouts with cranberries and pecans makes a good,
simple side with a bit of crunch and sweetness from the festive nuts and berries. You could also try
creamed parsnips with almonds for those who fancy something a little different to roasted parsnips. And a
tasty alternative to roasties are hasselback potatoes with roast garlic and rosemary – just the thing for an
unforgettable Christmas feast.
We’d like to wish all our customers and readers a very happy veg-filled Christmas!
Mushroom, Lentil & Red Wine Wellington Serves 4-6
The cooking is simple and speedy, but you need to give the filling time to cool - it makes working with the
pastry much easier. If practical, it’s worth getting all the elements ready the day before. It gives them time
to cool, leaving you to just wrap and bake on Christmas morning.
4 large Portobello mushrooms
1 onion, finely dice
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely dice
1 tin cooked dark/puy lentils
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
100ml red wine
300g puff pastry
150g baby spinach
1 egg, beaten
1. Preheat your oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. Toss the mushrooms in a roasting tray with 2 tbsp of oil and a
generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from the tray and place in the fridge
to cool quickly. Clean the tray.
2. While the mushrooms roast, warm 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan and cook the onion, carrot and celery
over a medium heat for 10 mins, until starting to soften.
3. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the lentils in a sieve.
4. Add the garlic, rosemary, lentils, soy sauce and red wine to the veg, along with 100ml of water. Cook
over a medium heat for 10 mins, until most of the liquid has disappeared and the lentils have become
mushy. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pop into the fridge to cool.
5. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 3mm thin, roughly the size of an A4 sheet. Lay it on the clean
baking tray and return it to the fridge to stay cold.
6. Wash the spinach. Place it in saucepan over a high heat until just wilted, about 30 secs. Cool
immediately under cold water. Drain, squeeze out any excess water, and roughly chop it.
To build the Wellington, spread the cooled lentil mix evenly over the pastry, leaving a 2cm gap along one
long edge. Place the mushrooms, stems up, in a line down the centre and pack them with chopped spinach.
Brush the exposed pastry edge with a little water. Gently lift it up and over to completely encase the
mushrooms, pressing the damp edge down to seal. Crimp the open ends closed. Brush with a little beaten
egg and lightly score the top with a sharp knife. Cut 2 or 3 vent holes in the top to let the steam escape.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and cooked through.
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