Equipment
Ingredients
Squash Filling
- 400 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced into 1cm cubes
- 30 ml maple syrup, pure grade a
- 15 ml olive oil
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Mushroom Filling
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic, minced
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped
Pastry and Assembly
- 320 g puff pastry, thawed if frozen, kept very cold
- 125 g goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 10 g all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, toss the diced butternut squash with maple syrup, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Spread the squash in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
While the squash roasts, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and it completely evaporates, allowing them to brown.
Stir the minced garlic and fresh thyme into the mushrooms. Cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant, then remove the pan from the heat and let the mushroom mixture cool completely.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the cold puff pastry into a rectangle roughly 30 by 40 centimeters.
Spoon the cooled squash and mushroom mixtures down the center third of the pastry, leaving a 3-centimeter border at the top and bottom. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese evenly over the filling.
Fold the long sides of the pastry over the filling so they overlap slightly in the center. Brush the seam and ends with a little beaten egg, folding the ends under to seal the parcel tightly. Carefully transfer the Wellington, seam-side down, to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the entire top and sides of the pastry with the remaining beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a diagonal crosshatch pattern across the top, being careful not to cut all the way through to the filling.
Bake the Wellington at 200°C/400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, deeply golden brown, and crisp to the tap.
Remove from the oven and allow the Wellington to rest for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a board to slice and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Cooling the fillings is non-negotiable. Warm ingredients will melt the solid butter layers in the puff pastry before it hits the oven, completely destroying its ability to rise and flake.
- For the best mushroom flavor and texture, avoid crowding the pan while sautéing. Cook in two batches if your pan is smaller than 25cm so they brown vigorously rather than steaming in their own juices.
- The egg wash serves two purposes: it acts as a strong edible glue to hold the pastry seams together, and it provides a glossy, professional finish to the baked crust.
- You can assemble this Wellington up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap unbaked and keep it in the refrigerator. Brush with egg wash and score it just before it goes into the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in foil or store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked. Bake from frozen, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the cooking time.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through and the pastry is crisp.
