Description
A delicious Chicken & Mushroom Wellington featuring tender chicken breasts enveloped in a creamy mushroom and cheese filling, all wrapped in flaky puff pastry. This elegant dish is perfect for special occasions or a gourmet weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Filling
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp butter
- 100g chestnut or button mushrooms, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 100g low-fat soft cheese
- 1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
Pastry & Finishing
- 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Prepare the Mushroom Filling: Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat until sizzling. Add chopped mushrooms and fry for 8 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Stir in crushed garlic, thyme leaves, and lemon juice, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for another minute until the mushroom liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and let cool completely.
- Mix the Filling: Transfer the cooled mushroom mixture to a bowl. Add the low-fat soft cheese and Dijon mustard, then mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the filling while preparing the chicken.
- Prepare the Chicken: Lay chicken breasts flat on a board, gently bash them with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Assemble the Wellington: Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut a 16cm rectangle and an 18cm rectangle. Place the smaller rectangle on baking parchment and brush with beaten egg. Lay one chicken breast on this pastry rectangle, smooth side down. Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the chicken, then place the second chicken breast on top, smooth side up, aligning the thick ends opposite each other.
- Enclose in Pastry: Brush the exposed pastry edges and top of the chicken with more beaten egg. Cover with the larger pastry rectangle and gently tuck and seal the edges. Trim excess pastry into an oval shape, leaving a 4cm border. Crimp the border with a fork to seal. Use pastry trimmings to create decorative leaves if desired. Chill the assembled Wellington in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Bake the Wellington: Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan)/gas mark 6½ with a baking tray inside. Brush the entire Wellington with most of the remaining beaten egg. Transfer it on the baking parchment to the hot baking tray and bake for 25 minutes. Brush with the remaining egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden brown and crisp.
- Rest and Serve: Let the Wellington rest for 5 minutes outside the oven before carefully carving it in half for serving. Enjoy your elegant and flavorful Chicken & Mushroom Wellington!
Notes
- For decorative pastry leaves, use bay or sage leaves as templates to cut shapes from pastry offcuts before baking.
- The Wellington can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the fridge.
- Make sure to let the mushroom filling cool completely before mixing with cheese to avoid soggy pastry.
- Resting the Wellington before slicing ensures the filling sets and avoids leaking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Chicken Wellington, Mushroom Wellington, Puff Pastry, Chicken Recipes, British Cuisine, Main Course, Elegant Dinner
