Butternut Squash Wellington

A delicious vegetarian alternative to traditional turkey. Serves 6. You will need:

Roast Squash

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon of hot chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of allspice
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
• Fresh ground black pepper

Mushroom Duxelles

• Olive oil
• 2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cup of chestnut mushrooms, brushed to remove any dirt, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of cooked chestnuts, chopped 
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lemon

Rainbow chard, sultana and pine nuts

• 2 cups of rainbow chard (or spinach)
• 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• Olive oil
• 3/4 cups of sultanas
• 3/4 cups of pine nuts 
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
• Fresh ground black pepper

Roasted Squash – Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Peel the squash and cut the ‘neck’ end off. Slice into two, from top to bottom and place in a bowl. 
3. Add the olive oil, spices, sea salt and a good grind of black pepper, mix, then place on a piece of baking parchment in a baking dish. Roast for 50 minutes, until caramelized and the squash is soft when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool. 

Mushroom Duxelles – Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the shallots and cook over a medium heat until soft (do not allow to brown). Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms, chestnuts and thyme, sea salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms start to clump together easily. 
2. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, check the seasoning, then allow to cool.

Rainbow chard, sultana and pine nuts – Method:

1. Wash the chard, remove the stems from the leaves, and roughly chop. 
2. Heat a ‘dry’ saucepan, add the stems, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2 mins, then add the chard leaves. The water from the leaves should create enough steam to cook the chard. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then remove and set aside. 
3. Add a splash of olive oil to the saucepan, then add the garlic, sultanas and pine nuts and fry until the pine nuts become golden. Remove from the heat, mix with the chard, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool. 

Assembly:

1 packet (2 1/2 cups) non-dairy puff pastry
1 teaspoon marmite yeast extract
1 tablespoon aquafaba (the liquid in a can of cooked chickpeas)
1 teaspoon nigella or sesame seeds 

1. Preheat the oven to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Roll out the puff pastry on a piece of baking parchment to a rectangle measuring approximately 30 x 40 cm. 
3. Use a knife to spread the mushroom duxelles over the pastry in a thin, even layer, leaving a 3 cm margin around the edge. 
4. Place a strip of the rainbow chard, sultana and pine nuts down the middle of the mushrooms and then position the two pieces of butternut squash (flat side up) on top, end to end, to form a ‘log’. 
5. Moisten the exposed pastry with water, then roll up one side of the pastry over the top of the squash. Roll the other side up and press the two ends together to seal. Fold over the two ends and seal closed. Turn the pastry wellington over and decorate with leaves, cut out from the excess pastry. 
6. Wrap the wellington in the baking parchment and place in the fridge to firm up for at least 20 minutes (24 hours is fine too). 
7. When ready to cook, remove the wellington from the fridge. Mix 1 teaspoon of marmite with 1 tablespoon of aquafaba, and brush all over the pastry, then sprinkle with nigella seeds. 
8. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 50–60 minutes until the pastry is golden brown (not pale!). 

Slice into 3-cm pieces and serve with vegetarian gravy. 

Recipe developed by @thecornerplot

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