This recipe is a fabulous vegetarian alternative to a fancy holiday entrée: the beef Wellington. Sweet potatoes are used instead of beef and Swiss chard is used instead of prosciutto for a recipe that can still give the wow-factor a traditional meat-focused entrée would. All your meat-eating family members will want to get in on this Wellington, too. Serve it on its own or with a little creme fraîche for even more elegance.
Technique Tip: The chilling portion of the log is essential to make sure everything stays together. Allot at least 30 minutes before wrapping in pastry.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 6 inches long), scrubbed
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 medium clove garlic, grated
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
- 1½ pounds mixed mushrooms, finely chopped, divided
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
- 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, divided
- 1 large leaf Swiss chard, center rib removed
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 sheet puff pastry (about 8 ounces)
- flour, for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2.Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and coat the potatoes in 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt. Bake for 50 minutes, or until softened, golden and bubbling.
3.Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add shallots and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, 2 sprigs thyme and 1/2 of the mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 minutes more and transfer to a plate in a thin layer to cool.
4.Wipe out the skillet and repeat step 3 without the shallots and garlic.
5.Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season with salt. Add in the Swiss chard leaf and cook for 30 seconds, remove from the water and transfer to a plate to cool. Once cooled, gently squeeze out any excess water.
6.Brush sweet potatoes all over with mustard. Reduce oven temperature to 400 F.
7.On a clean counter, place two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap. Cut off 1/2 inch off each end of both potatoes. Place Swiss chard on top. Spread cooled mushrooms over Swiss chard in an even layer. Place sweet potatoes along one end of the Swiss chard. Lift the end of plastic wrap closest to the sweet potatoes up and delicately roll the chard over the potatoes. Tightly wrap, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper. Place into the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.
8.Unroll puff pastry onto a lightly floured large piece of parchment paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 13- by 15-inch rectangle.
9.In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water to make an egg wash. Place the parchment and puff pastry on a rimmed baking sheet.
10.Gently unwrap the chilled log and place onto the long end of the puff pastry. Roll into a log, taking care not to tear the pastry dough. Place the seam of the dough on the base of the baking sheet and tuck the sides under and pinch to seal the ends.
11.Brush the log with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, create slits on the top of the log. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and the pastry is cooked through. Cool for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.