Vegan No-Beef Wellington

30cm/12” frying pan, large baking tray, 500g/1lb loaf tin, parchment paper, saucepan, food processor and 2 x mixing bowls

VEGAN NO BEEF LOG
75g beetroot
25g carrot
25g celery
25g red onion
6 black olives, stoned
1 garlic clove
150ml red wine or grape juice
2 bay leaves
½ tsp thyme
2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp porridge oats
¼ tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp ground mace
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
100g tinned chickpeas
oil, for tray

VEGAN FLAKY PASTRY
200g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
¼ tsp salt
125g vegan baking block, chilled
8 tbsp cold water
flour, for dusting
aquafaba, for brushing

VEGAN MUSHROOM PANCAKE
100g chestnut mushrooms
25g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
1 tsp Doves Farm Organic Chickpea Flour
75ml vegan milk
1 tsp truffle oil, optional
salt and pepper
oil, for pan

200°C, Fan 180°C, 400°F, Gas 6

Vegan No 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 clove and add them to the pan.
3. Add the wine or grape juice, 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 paper 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 Flaky pastry

1. Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt and stir to combine. 
2. Cut the chilled baking block into very thin slices and lay these out on a plate.
3. Take about a third of the butter and add it to the mixing bowl.
4. Using a fork or pastry blender, work the baking block into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Avoid using your fingers for this.
5. Add the water and stir until the pastry starts to hold together.
6. Gather the mixture into a ball of soft dough. If the dough seems dry add another teaspoon of water or if it is excessively wet, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
7. Dust the work surface with flour, place the dough in the middle and dust it with flour.
8. Gently roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle. 
9. Lay a second third of baking block slices across the middle of the dough in lines which just touch. 
10. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
11. Gently lift the left side of the pastry over and onto the middle of the baking block.
12. Now lift the right side of the pastry, folding it over so the baking block is covered.
13. Press around the edges and pinch together any cracks. 
14. Gently fold the pastry in half, pinching any cracks to make sure no baking block is exposed.
15. Dust the pastry with flour, turn it over and dust the other side.
16. For the second time roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12″ rectangle.
17. Arrange the remaining slices of baking block in lines covering the middle of the pastry and finishing 1cm/⅜” from the sides. 
18. Run a damp finger all around the outside of the pastry rectangle.
19. Once again, carefully lift the left and right sides of the pastry over the baking block to meet in the middle.
20. Press around the edges, pinching any cracks to make sure no baking block is exposed 
21. Gently fold the pastry in half for a final time.
22. Dust the folded pastry with flour and chill for at least 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Vegan Mushroom Pancake      

1. Finely dice the mushrooms.
2. Lightly oil a frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook over a 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.

Vegan No Beef Wellington

1. Rub some oil around the inside of a large baking tray or insert a baking liner.
2. Dust the work surface and pastry with flour.
3. Roll the pastry into a 35cm/15” square. Turn the pastry regularly as you do this dusting with flour and pinching together any baking block that is exposed.
4. Brush some aquafaba over the pastry.
5. Position the mushroom pancake in the middle of the pastry.
6. Place the no beef log in the middle of the pancake.
7. Lift one side of the pastry and pancake onto the ‘beef’ log and roll everything onto the remaining pastry and pancake to fully enclose it.
8. Pinch the pastry together to seal all the edges.
9. Trim away any excess pastry, gather it into a ball and leave to chill. 
10. Transfer the vegan wellington to the prepared baking tray with the pastry seal underneath.
11. Roll out the ball of excess pastry and cut out leaf shapes.
12. Using a knife, cut a crisscross pattern on the wellington pastry without cutting right through.
13. Moisten the back of the pastry leaves with water and lay them decoratively onto the pastry.
14. Chill the wellington for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours before baking.
15. Pre-heat the oven 20 minutes before baking.
16. Brush the remaining aquafaba all over the outside of the pastry.
17. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.