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Like mushroom risotto wrapped in a crispy crust - Christmassy Wellington
Photo: Sebastian Maas / DER SPIEGEL
Was I hoping to write another pandemic Christmas episode this year?
Yes.
Do many families have to weigh up anew these days whether a joint festival can be celebrated safely?
Unfortunately, yes.
So is standing in the kitchen one of the last joys granted to you during this time?
Absolutely.
The new federal government has just promoted a general to head of the Corona crisis team in order to master the situation.
As an exception, there is a really elaborate dish with a military background here at the end of the year.
Fortunately, it can be prepared the day before the dinner so that the stress does not become too great.
Our Christmas menu is inspired by a classic dish of fine cuisine: Beef Wellington - a fillet that is baked on a bed of mushrooms in a puff pastry coating.
It is named after the Duke of Wellington, an Irish warlord who successfully fought Napoleon in 1815.
The original was supposedly made from fallen army horses to save costs, but that is not certain.
Nowadays, beef fillet is mostly used (too expensive for this column).
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We therefore simply do without the meat and instead make a vegetarian version with mushrooms, feta and rice.
The result tastes a little like mushroom risotto wrapped in a crispy crust.
To be honest, I find that even more appealing than warhorses.
If you want to keep the dish vegan (and thus even more peaceful), you only have to replace the cheese with a vegetable alternative and make sure that the optional red wine for the sauce has not been clarified with gelatin.
This is what you need for 4 servings:
For the Wellington:
1 roll of puff pastry
400-500 g of brown mushrooms, especially the heads
125 g rice
100 g walnuts or sunflower seeds
150 g frozen kale or frozen leaf spinach
150 g feta or vegan white cheese
1 shallot / onion
1/2 carrot
1 clove of garlic
2 large sprigs of herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage, alternatively 1 tablespoon of dried / frozen herbs of Provence
Also for the sauce (yes, that doubles up!):
The stems of the mushrooms used above
1/2 carrot
1 clove of garlic
1 shallot / onion
2 sprigs of herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage, alternatively 1 tablespoon of dried / frozen herbs of Provence
2 tbsp vegetable broth
Oil, salt, pepper
1 tbsp flour, cornstarch or some sauce thickener
Optional: 100 ml (vegan) red wine / mulled wine
Helpful: a hand blender
This is served with croquettes and / or red cabbage.
What does this cost?
You shouldn't end up more than 2.50 euros per serving.
It gets even cheaper if you save yourself kale or spinach and choose the cheaper sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
How long does it take?
About two hours of preparation, plus 25 to 30 minutes of baking time.
But you can prepare the filling and sauce super on the lecture and you have peace on Christmas Eve.
This is how you make Christmas Wellington with mushrooms
Part 1 - The filling
Wash the rice and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
Then set aside in a large bowl to cool.
It is easier to use when it is lukewarm.
Clean the mushrooms, remove particularly large and thick stems and store them together with four to five mushroom heads for the sauce.
Quarter the remaining cleaned mushrooms and roast them without oil in the pan for seven to ten minutes, turning regularly.
Only add a little oil when no more liquid emerges.
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Dice a shallot and a clove of garlic and sauté with the mushrooms for a minute.
Then add everything to the rice in the bowl.
Finely chop or grate half a carrot and add it.
Also add the kernels or nuts, previously roughly crumble the walnuts by hand.
If you take sunflower seeds, you can toast them briefly in the residual heat of the mushroom pan for a little extra flavor.
Put the cheese in the bowl as well, plus a teaspoon of the herbs.
Chop the rosemary to an edible size beforehand.
Mix everything thoroughly with your hands, then season with salt and pepper and, if necessary, more herbs.
With moistened hands, shape the mixture on some cling film into a loaf that is a few centimeters narrower than the rolled out puff pastry.
Either use the filling straight away or store it rolled up in the foil in the refrigerator overnight.
Part 2 - The roast
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees (top / bottom heat) and meanwhile cook the frozen kale or spinach in a saucepan with a little salted water.
Then drain and squeeze out the moisture with a spoon.
Roll out the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and spread the freshly prepared, no longer wet greens in a flat strip in the middle.
Leave a few centimeters of space on the left and right.
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Carefully place the prepared mushroom, nut, rice and cheese loaf on top of the kale / spinach, removing the foil.
(Carefully) fold the puff pastry tightly around the loaf, moisten the edges a little and press down.
Professionals now turn it over so that the seam is at the bottom - I forgot that.
Score the top very, very lightly in a checkerboard pattern with a knife, but do not cut through.
Cut off any excess puff pastry on the left and right and form decorative strips from it.
Alternatively, cut out a few patterns with a cookie cutter.
Moisten the decorative elements and place them on the roast.
Bake for around 25 to 30 minutes - the version prepared in the refrigerator should be a little longer.
Meanwhile, heat the side dishes of your choice and bring the sauce to the boil - see point 3. The sauce can also be prepared the day before.
Part 3 - The (best vegan) gravy: mushroom cream
Roughly chop the previously saved mushroom stalks, as well as the garlic, shallot and half a carrot.
Fry everything together in plenty of oil on medium heat for a maximum of five minutes.
Then add another tablespoon of the chosen herbs.
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How should the sauce be thickened - with flour, cornstarch or sauce thickener?
In the first case, put a tablespoon of flour on the vegetables and stir vigorously until no more lumps of flour can be seen.
In the other cases, only thicken later.
Pour everything up with 400 milliliters of water.
If you want red wine aromas, you should first add 100 milliliters of it to the pan, let the alcohol boil off briefly and then add 300 milliliters of water.
Simmer with or without alcohol on a medium flame for seven to ten minutes.
Puree the sauce with a hand blender or stand mixer.
If you don't have one, you have to chop the vegetables even smaller beforehand.
After pureeing, let it steep for at least 20 minutes on the switched-off, warm plate.
Season to taste with salt (or vegetable stock powder) and pepper.
If you haven't used flour before, you can boil the sauce again before serving and bind it with a little cold-touched cornstarch or sauce thickener.
It can be quite thick, otherwise the puff pastry will muddy later.
But if the sauce is TOO thick, you can help with (plant) milk, cream or more vegetable broth.
First cut open the crispy Wellington at the table and do not drown completely in the sauce.
Those who have adhered to all steps with the general staff can now look forward to a hearty and at the same time peaceful Christmas dinner.
I hope it tastes good and I wish you a relaxed and safe holiday.
Do you know any other dishes that cost little money? Feel free to write to me on Instagram or share a picture of your creations there under the hashtag #KochenOhneKohle.
