Chestnut & Mushroom Wellington

It may only be December the 12th but I've been feeling festive since November, so it's only right that I post a festive recipe - the first of many, I assure you!

I'm starting with savoury to ring the changes and lay the foundations for my Christmas menu before I satisfy your (ok, my) sweet tooth!

This chestnut and mushroom wellington did not last long at all on our table and was enjoyed by meat eaters and herbivores alike! It's well worth a try, as the assembly is so easy and the result rather impressive - a bit of a cheat really, given the shop-bought pastry but I promise to make my own for mince pies!!

Ingredients

200g spinach

20g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large leek

1 clove garlic

300g mushrooms

100g pre-cooked chestnuts (roughly chopped)

250g puff pastry

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and blanch the spinach for one minute. Then drain and rinse with cold water before squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Roughly chop and set aside.

2. Add the butter and oil to a frying pan and cook the leeks for five mins until soft. Add the chopped garlic and mushrooms and fry for another 5-6 mins.

3. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the chopped chestnuts and season with salt and pepper.

4. Now lay a large sheet of cling film on the work surface and make a sausage shape out of the cooled filling. Roll up and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

5. Preheat the oven to 200C, dust the work surface with flour and roll out the pastry into a rectangle (as long as the sausage-shaped filling).

6. Carefully unroll the filling onto the middle of the pastry.

7. In a mug, mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush along the edges of the pastry. Now roll the filling in the pastry and join with the other side. Press the sides and ends together to seal.

8. Use any pastry off-cuts to decorate the top then brush the whole wellington with the remaining egg wash.

9. Place on a line baking sheet and cook for 30 mins until golden brown!