Plant-Based Baby Pork Wellingtons
WITH MUSHROOM DUXELLES AND SMOKED HAM
You probably weren’t expecting another Wellington recipe from us, but as you know, we love to grow and evolve as people (and cats). As much as we adore our OG recipe, it might seem a bit intimidating to a newborn kitchen crusader, and only feels appropriate if your guest list consists of at least 6 people (no judgment if you made the whole thing just for you). So, to cater to festive gatherings large and small, we decided to swap our trusty Loin with Meaty Meat, and create teeny tiny single-portion Baby Wellingtons. They are layered with smoky vegan ham, rich mushroom duxelles, tangy mustard, and flaky puff pastry. We basically packed all the characteristics of a good Wellington into a super cute mini version, which is easier to shape and takes up less space in the fridge. But honestly, the best part is that each guest gets their own personal welly, which, much like the feeling of finally being able to afford one’s own apartment, gives one a false sense of control over one’s destiny, just enough personal autonomy to pacify one’s innate contempt for authority, subduing one into a passive state of happy, unquestioning consumption—which also happens to describe the perfect dinner guest.
Ingredients
Mushroom Duxelles
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g brown button mushrooms (finely chopped with a knife or kitchen processor)
- 2 medium-sized shallots (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cognac or whiskey
Meaty Meat
- 4 x Meaty Meat Pork-ish
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
To wrap
- Mustard
- 1 pack of La Vie Smoked Ham
- 1 or 2 sheets of pre-rolled store-bought puff pastry (1 for wrapping, and 1 optional for lattice decoration)
Glaze
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp plant-based milk (unsweetened and unflavoured)
- 1 tbsp oil (sunflower, vegetable, or olive)
SERVES 6-8 / 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
preparation
Mushroom Duxelles
- Heat a pan over medium heat with olive oil.
- Add finely chopped shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding garlic.
- After a minute, add finely chopped mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms have released their moisture.
- Once the pan is dry, deglaze it with Cognac and soy sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Let the Duxelles cool down completely.
Meaty Meat
- Remove Meaty Meats from their packaging, and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add olive oil to a non-stick pan a heat over medium heat. Once hot, add Meaty Meats, and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
- Once you are happy with the colour, remove Meaty Meats from the pan and let them cool down completely.
Assembly
- Lay 4 pieces of cling film on a clean surface. Place 2 slightly overlapping pieces of La Vie Ham on each piece of cling film.
- Gently spread ¼ of the cooled-down duxelles on each piece of ham.
- Lightly brush each Meaty Meat with mustard and place it on top of duxelles.
- Using the cling film, roll the ham over the Meaty Meat to form a tight log, sealing the sides. Repeat with all the Meaty Meats, and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Once the Meaty Meats have cooled down slightly, roll out 2 sheets of puff pastry, and slice them into 4 equal rectangles (cut each one in half horizontally).
- Unwrap each Meaty Meat and place it in the center of the pastry rectangle.
- Bring the pastry edges up to meet on top and pinch to seal. Turn the parcel seam-side down. (Optional: add a lattice layer with extra pastry.)
- Repeat the same process with all Meaty Meats.
- Cover with cling film, and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to cool down.
- While Baby Wellingtons are chilling, preheat the oven to 190 degrees.
- Prepare the “egg wash” by whisking together maple syrup, plant-based milk, and olive oil.
- Place Baby Wellingtons on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush with “egg wash”.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden.
- Once the Baby Wellingtons are done baking, remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool down slightly before serving.
