Roast beetroot, goat’s cheese and caramelised shallot Wellington

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 500g cooked beetroot, cut into thick wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 150g vegetarian goat’s cheese
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 x 320g sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Roast the beetroot

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Put the beetroot onto a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Roast for 20–25 minutes until the edges are beginning to caramelise and any excess moisture has cooked away. This bit matters more than it might seem – soggy beetroot and puff pastry are not natural allies.

2. Caramelise the shallots

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the shallots with a small pinch of salt and cook gently for 12–15 minutes until soft and golden.

Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes until sticky and glossy. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

3. Make the goat’s cheese filling

Put the goat’s cheese into a bowl with the thyme, parsley and Dijon mustard. Mash together with a fork until well combined, then season with black pepper.

Go lightly on the salt, as the cheese will already be doing quite a lot of work in that department.

4. Build the Wellington

Unroll the pastry onto a lined baking tray. Spread the goat’s cheese mixture down the centre, leaving a generous border around the edges.

Spoon the caramelised shallots over the cheese, then arrange the roasted beetroot on top in an even layer.

Try to keep the filling compact and tidy. This is one of those moments where a little restraint makes the folding considerably easier.

5. Wrap it up

Fold the long sides of the pastry over the filling, then fold in the ends to seal everything inside.

Turn the Wellington over carefully so the seam sits underneath. Brush all over with beaten egg and lightly score the top with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut all the way through.

6. Bake until golden

Bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is puffed, crisp and deeply golden.

If a little cheese escapes at one corner, consider it a bonus rather than evidence that civilisation has failed.

7. Let it rest

Leave the Wellington to stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

This gives the filling time to settle and means each slice has a much better chance of holding together rather than making a determined exit across the plate.

8. Serve

Cut into thick slices and serve warm with a bitter-leaf salad, roasted greens or buttery new potatoes.

The sweetness of the beetroot and shallots works beautifully with the tang of the goat’s cheese, so keep anything alongside fairly simple and fresh.

A couple of helpful notes
- Make sure the beetroot is as dry as possible before it goes onto the pastry. Excess moisture is the enemy of crisp pastry.
- Check that the goat’s cheese is made with vegetarian rennet if you are serving this as a strictly vegetarian dish.
- The filling can be prepared a few hours ahead, but assemble and bake the Wellington close to serving for the best pastry.