Christmas Welsh lamb wellington

If you really want to wow your guests and tantalise their taste buds, Christmas Welsh lamb wellington is the perfect festive dinner for you. Filled with a pâté of mushrooms, chestnuts, garlic and cranberries, this pastry-covered Welsh lamb is bursting with flavour that will have you thinking about that first bite for the rest of the year! Bake until golden brown and serve with homemade Port sauce, created with the leftover juices from the lamb and some redcurrant jelly. This recipe calls for seasonal steamed vegetables or, our personal favourite, red cabbage braised with apples and red wine.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 long pieces of Welsh lamb neck fillet or loin eye muscle, each weighing approximately 225g

Seasoning

25g butter

100g button mushrooms, sliced

50g tinned chestnuts, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

25g dried cranberries

45ml Port

500g  pre-made puff pastry

Plain flour for rolling

1 egg, beaten

For the Port sauce:

100ml Port

30ml redcurrant or cranberry sauce

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Season the Welsh lamb. Heat half the butter in a pan and sear the Welsh lamb on all sides for five minutes until brown all over. Remove and set aside.

Heat the remaining butter and gently fry the mushrooms, chestnuts, garlic, thyme and cranberries for about three to four minutes. Add the port and allow to bubble for about a minute.

Place the mixture in a small bowl and leave to cool slightly. Save the ‘dirty’ pan to use for the sauce. Cut the pastry block in half and roll into a large rectangle about 5mm thick (big enough to wrap around the Welsh lamb). Spoon half the mushroom mixture down the centre of the rectangle and place the Welsh lamb on top.

Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, fold in both ends followed by the sides wrapping the pastry around the meat. Place on a baking tray, seam side down. Repeat with the second piece of Welsh lamb. Brush the pastry all over with the remaining beaten egg and decorate with pastry trimmings if you wish.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

For the Port sauce, heat the pan used for cooking the mushroom mixture, add the port and swirl around pan to get all the juices into the mixture. Add the redcurrant jelly and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove the wellingtons from the oven and leave to rest for five to 10 minutes before carving into thick slices.

Serve with port sauce and seasonal steamed vegetables or red cabbage braised with apples and red wine.

Recipe courtesy of eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com