This mushroom wellington recipe (which also could called Mushroom en Croûte) is simply a vegetarian take on a classic. In this case, a delicious mixture of mushrooms, spinach and gorgonzola are wrapped in a golden, baked puff pastry crust. A simple but delicious combination.
I am a believer that you could wrap anything in puff pastry and it would taste delicious. Which is why, I have a number of recipes for hand-pies, pot-pies and even puff pastry tarts of sorts. And this time rather than making an open-faced mushroom tart, which is truly delicious, I decided to make a “wellington” of sorts. One made with a mix of cremini and oyster mushrooms, which are sautéed in butter and olive oil, plus a splash of white wine (sherry would be great here too) and finally finished with a few handfuls of spinach. After the mixture has cooled, it is layed out on the cold puff pastry dough, topped with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and then wrapped up like a log and popped in the oven. Easy, hearty, delicious.
Tips for making the perfect mushrooms wellington
After many attempts, I finally found the combination and method that I find works the best.
Preparing the mushroom filling: First rule of thumb: never wash the mushrooms, they should only be brushed clean. Waterlogged mushrooms aren’t what we are after here. Secondly, when sautéing them, we to get them lightly browned but also make sure that we cook away any of the excess moisture, otherwise, we could have a soggy bottomed pastry. Which tastes fine, but makes it harder to serve. For this reason, we don’t salt the mushrooms until the very end, as we don’t want to draw out even more moisture while they are cooking.
Let’s talk about the cheese: Unless you are a real lover of blue cheese it’s best to keep the cheese in the range of 150g, otherwise, it can overpower and mask the other flavours of this dish. But if that’s what you are going for, feel free to even use a stronger blue cheese like Roquefort or Stilton, or a combination of your favourites.
Wrapping and sealing the wellington: Since gorgonzola melts quite a bit, it is important to make sure the mushroom wellington is well sealed. This is why I seal it at the top rather than the sides — it’s a foolproof method. But if you are want to experiment a little, then just make sure to seal any edges well with an egg wash before pressing the edges together. And, any slits or openings (to release steam) on the top shouldn’t go down the sides, otherwise, there is a risk of the cheese melting outside the wellington as it bakes. With a firmer type of cheese you don’t need to worry about this.
Everything else is pretty straight forward!
How to adapt this vegetarian wellington
- Try other greens, such as Swiss chard or Tuscan kale
- Switch out blue cheese for goats cheese (such as chèvre) and maybe add a teaspoon of grainy Dijon mustard to the mushroom mixture
- Or make a Mediterranean version with chopped Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and bocconcini (mozzarella)
- Use your favourite mix up mushrooms
- Add caramelised onions
- Add a splash of sherry instead of white wine
If you like this recipe, maybe you’ll like these too:
- Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie
- Mushroom Hand Pies
- Salmon and Asparagus Tart
- Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato & Lentils
- Mushroom Tart with Puff Pastry
Mushroom Wellington with Spinach and Gorgonzola
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 500 g mushrooms, thinly sliced (I like a mix of oyster and cremini)
- Splash of white wine (about 2 tablespoons)
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of red chili flakes
- 3-4 generous handfuls spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 ready rolled butter puff pastry (280 g, 24x40cm)
- 150 g gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- black cumin seeds (nigella), to garnish
Method
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n a large, deep skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add white wine, and cook another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and most of the liquid has disappeared. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of chili flakes. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, until starts to wilt.
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Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C (fan-assisted 170°C).
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Roll out the puff pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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Spread the mushroom filling along the centre of the pastry, and sprinkle the gorgonzola cheese evenly on top.
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Fold both long sides of the puff pastry to meet over the center and pinch the edges together seal (or seal with a fork). Fold over the ends and pinch to seal so that the pastry is completely wrapped over the filling. Score the top (on each side of the seam) with a sharp knife.
TIP: Alternatively, you can gently roll over the wellington so that the seam is on the bottom. I find this is easiest to do by rolling over onto a fresh piece of parchment paper. Then use a sharp knife to score the top with a crosshatch pattern.
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Brush the entire wellington, including the sides ,with the egg wash. Sprinkle with black cumin seeds (nigella).
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Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the pastry is completely cooked.
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Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before transferring to a serving dish or board. Serve on its own or with a simple arugula salad. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers reheat well in the oven.
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