Recipe
Infused with herbs and a touch of spice, this succulent, savoury log is the perfect centrepiece for Christmas, or a Sunday roast with some loved ones!
You will need
Serves 8
- 3 thawed dairy-free puff pastry sheets
- Dairy-free milk, for brushing
Mushroom and Curried Lentil Stuffing
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot curry powder (or 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder, if you don't like it hot)
- 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida*
- 8 medium-sized mushrooms of your choice, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup puy lentils, boiled until cooked, then drained and set aside
- 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes
- Himalayan salt, to taste
Nut Stuffing
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1–2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 2–3 sage leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 200 g roasted hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- Himalayan salt, to taste
Recipe: Miriam Sorrell
Stylist: Taste for Life
Directions
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Step 1
To make the lentil stuffing, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened, then add the tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well, then stir in the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing them to yield all their juices. Stir in the lentils, sundried tomatoes and 1 1/2 tablespoons water and cook for a further 10–15 minutes. Season with salt and leave to cool before stuffing the pastry – the mixture should be no more than lukewarm.
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Step 2
While the lentil mixture is cooling, make the nut stuffing. Place the onion, garlic and herbs in a food processor and blend until small pieces form. Next, add the hazelnuts and pulse into crumbs. Add the remaining ingredients, then process for 10–20 seconds, until you have a nice crumble mix, but it’s not crushed to a pulp. Set aside.
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Step 3
Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional, or 200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
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Step 4
Place the pastry sheets on a clean, floured work surface, overlapping them to make a long rectangle. Brush a little milk in between the overlapping edges to help them adhere to each other, then use a rolling pin to roll the pastry sheets together, with the short length facing you. Leaving a generous border of pastry clear along the bottom and both side edges, spoon the lentil stuffing mixture onto the bottom pastry sheet, gently spreading the filling into a square shape. In another square shape, directly above the lentil mixture, spread the nut stuffing mixture, again leaving a generous border clear along both pastry edges and the top.
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Step 5
Now start slowly rolling the bottom pastry edge over the mixture, away from you, until you reach the end – an extra pair of hands can be helpful here. Don’t worry if any bits fall out the side; just gently push them back in place. Secure the folded-over pastry in place using toothpicks. Brush the pastry with a little milk. Using a sharp knife, gently score the surface of the pastry to mark equal serving portions.
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Step 6
Using two large metal spatulas – again another set of hands can be useful here – carefully lift the log onto the baking tray. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Hot tip!
*Asafoetida, also known as ‘hing’, is a ground spice commonly used in Indian cooking. Made from the sap of giant fennel, it adds a slight garlic flavour. It’s generally available in spice stores, but simply omit if you can’t find it.
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Recipe: Miriam Sorrell
Stylist: Taste for Life
