BOSH! Classic Mushroom Wellington

Prepare the portobello mushrooms

• Peel and mince 4 of the garlic cloves using a sharp knife
• Remove the leaves from 4 rosemary and 4 thyme sprigs by running your thumb and forefinger from the top to the base of the stems (the leaves should easily come away), then finely chop
• Lay the portobello mushrooms on one of the lined baking trays with the stems pointing up
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over the gills of each mushroom and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
• Divide the chopped rosemary, thyme and garlic between the mushrooms
• Put the tray in the oven and cook for 15 minutes
• Remove and set aside

Meanwhile, cook the onions

• Peel and finely chop the red onion
• Add the tablespoon of oil to the frying pan
• Add the red onion to the pan and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened

While the onions are cooking

• Peel and finely chop the remaining 3 garlic cloves
• Remove the leaves from the remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs and finely chop
• Measure 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon of the pepper and the sugar into a small bowl
• Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar into the pan and stir everything round for 1 minute
• Put the chestnut mushrooms into the food processor and whizz until very finely chopped
• Tip them into the pan, increase the heat to high and cook until softened and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5–7 minutes
• Pour the white wine into the pan and stir it around for about 3 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has cooked off
• Tip the mixture into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes

Finish the Wellington mixture

• Put the chestnuts, pecans and bread into the food processor and whizz until they resemble breadcrumbs (you may need to do this in batches)
• Add to the bowl with the onions
• Using a wooden spoon, thoroughly stir everything together until you have a thick dough-like mixture

Start arranging your Wellington

• Lay 1 pastry sheet on the other lined baking tray
• Spread half the chestnut mixture lengthways down the middle of the pastry sheet
• Use your hands to mould it into a rectangle shape with a flat top, leaving at least a 3cm gap on all four sides
• This shape will dictate the shape of the Wellington so make sure it’s nice and straight and level on top
• Place the 4 cooked portobello mushrooms neatly on top of the chestnut mixture, stems facing up, making sure the sides of the mushrooms don’t hang off the edges
• Layer the rest of the chestnut mixture over the top, encasing the mushrooms
• Smooth and shape into a neat, long, rectangular mound
• Using a pastry brush or your finger, brush a little of the plant-based milk around the exposed pastry edge
  Seal the Wellington
• Lay the second pastry sheet over the mushroom filling and press it all down well, ensuring there are no air bubbles
• Seal the edges by pushing down all the way round the filling with your fingers
• Trim any excess pastry from the edges, making sure you leave a 11⁄2cm crust around the base of the Wellington
• Set the excess pastry aside for later
• Use a fork to crimp all around the edges of the pastry to firmly seal the Wellington and to make it look nice

Finish and bake

• Roll out the excess pastry if necessary and use a pastry cutter to cut out shapes
• Brush the Wellington lightly with the plant-based milk and decorate the top with the pastry shapes
• Brush the shapes with the plant-based milk
• Pierce some air vents in the top of the Wellington with a fork or sharp knife
• Put the Wellington in the oven and bake it for 40 minutes, checking after 30 minutes (if it looks ready, remove it from the oven)
• Use a bread knife to carefully cut the Wellington into slices and serve