Vegan 'Beef' Wellington

Vegan 'Beef' log

1. Chop the beetroot, carrot, celery, and onion into small cubes and put them all into a saucepan.
2. Dice the olives and garlic and add them to the pan.
3. Add the wine, bay leaves and thyme, cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are soft then remove from the heat.
4. Line a 500g/1lb loaf tin with parchment and pre-heat the oven.
5. Measure the tapioca, oats, xanthan gum, ground mace, salt, and pepper into a bowl, stir to combine.
6. Remove the bay leaves from the vegetables and tip them into a food processor.
7. Drain the aquafaba liquid from the chickpeas, saving it for later, and add the chickpeas to the processor.
8. Pulse the processor to make a coarse mix.
9. Add the prepared tapioca blend and pulse to combine.
10. Tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 20 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, turn out the vegan log and leave to cool.
12. Chill the log for up to 24 hours.

Vegan Puff pastry

1. Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt and stir to combine.
2. Add the water and mix well.
3. Using your hands gather everything together to form a ball of dough.
4. If this does not happen easily add another teaspoon of water.
5. Cover the dough ball and chill for 15 minutes.
6. Cut the vegan baking block into 2mm/⅛” thick slices, spread them out on a plate and chill in the icebox for 15 minutes.

1st folding

1. Dust the work surface liberally with flour, place the dough in the middle and dust the dough with flour. Gently roll the dough into 20x30cm/8x12" rectangle.
2. Place half of the chilled vegan baking block slices, in lines just touching each other, in the middle of the dough. Return the remaining slices to the fridge.
3. Gently lift the left and right sides of dough over the vegan baking block to meet in the middle and press around the edges to enclose it all.
4. Fold the dough in half pinching the pastry together to cover any exposed baking block.
5. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

2nd folding

1. Once again, dust the work surface and dough with flour and roll it into a 20x30cm/8x12" rectangle.
2. Lay the remaining slices of the vegan baking block in the middle of the dough, so they are almost touching.
3. As before, lift the left and right sides of dough over the vegan baking block to meet in the middle and press around the edges to enclose it all.
4. Gently flatten the top of the pastry dough with the palm of your hand if it looks lumpy and pinch the pastry over any exposed baking block.
5. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

3rd folding

1. For the third time, lightly dust the work surface and dough with flour and roll the dough into a 20x30cm/8x12" rectangle.
2. Gently lift the left-hand third of pastry over and on to the middle third. Fold the right hand third on top, pinching the pastry together to cover any baking block.
3. Cover and chill for 15 minutes, or until required for your recipe. Very cold pastry may need to come back to room temperature before using it.

Vegan Mushroom Pancake    

1. Finely dice the mushrooms.
2. Lightly oil a frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat. When they have collapsed and any liquid has evaporated, remove from the heat.
3. Put the plain flour, chickpea flour, vegan milk, and truffle oil if used, into a large bowl or jug and beat to make a smooth batter.
4. Lightly oil a 30cm/12” frying pan and get it nice and hot.
5. Season the batter with salt and pepper, add the cooked mushrooms and stir to combine.
6. Pour the mixture into the hot pan, rolling it out to the edges.
7. Cook the pancake, loosening the edges until the top is set.
8. Turn out the pancake onto a plate and leave to cool.

To Assemble Vegan Wellington

1. Rub some oil around the inside of a large baking tray and pre-heat the oven.
2. Dust the work surface with flour and roll the pastry into a 35cm/15” square. Turn the pastry regularly as you do this dusting with flour and pinching together any fat that is exposed.
3. Moisten the edges of the pastry with water.
4. Put the mushroom pancake in the middle of the pastry.
5. Place the vegan ‘beef’ log in the middle of the pancake.
6. Lift one side of the pastry onto the ‘beef’ log and roll the pastry to fully enclose it.
7. Pinch the pastry together to seal all the edges and trim away any excess.
8. Transfer the vegan wellington to the prepared baking tray with the pastry seal is underneath.
9. Using a knife, score a criss-cross pattern on the pastry without cutting through it.
10. If you have any excess pastry cut out leaf shapes, moisten the back with water and lay them decoratively onto the pastry.
11. Brush the reserved aquafaba liquid all over the outside of the pastry.
12. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.