Festive Chicken Wellington - Christmas Recipes

Now that I’ll be spending Christmas at home, I thought I’d make the most of it and use the time to try a few recipes in my kitchen that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to cook.

I first created this Christmas Chicken Wellington recipe as part of a virtual cook-along event I attended with The Cookaway. I learnt some great tips from MasterChef finalist Jack Lucas who guided us through the class, and couldn’t wait to give it another go!

This Chicken Wellington recipe is perfect for small gatherings and can be personalised to suit your tastes by adding your favourite festive ingredients. For example, the pork mince filling can be elevated by adding dry fruits and nuts, such as dried cranberries, dried apricots, pistachio and walnuts - take your pick!

I’ve used outdoor bred pork mince in this recipe, though you can substitute it for sausage meat instead. I also used free range chicken breast ordered from Athleat. My monthly meat subscription box means that I conveniently get all my meat based ingredients delivered straight to my door and in one order.

This is a comforting dish which is wholesome and will last a few days in the fridge if you’re not able to finish it all in one sitting. You can even make a couple and gift to neighbours for a warming home-made Christmas present.

Cooking time: 45 mins
Feeds: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

2 free range chicken breast
100 grams Pork Mince
1 puff pastry sheet
1 egg yolk
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
Fresh thyme
A knob of unsalted butter

Method:

Finely chop the shallots & garlic and finely shred the sage leaves. Add a knob or two of unsalted butter to a pan and when the butter starts to turn brown add the ingredients and cook until the shallots are soft and translucent.
Add these three ingredients to the pork mince as well as some salt and pepper to season, and mix well. Add and mix the dried fruits and nuts at this stage (optional).
Next prepare the chicken breasts by placing them between two sheets of cling film and flatten evenly by hitting with a rolling pin or pan until around 1cm in width.
Remove the top cling film and place the pork mince in a thin line towards the top of the chicken.
Next roll the chicken over the pork tightly using the cling film, and continue rolling to produce a roulade-style shape.
Now roll out the puff pastry sheet onto a flat surface
Take the rolled up chicken and pork in the middle and roll till the edges meet
Brush the edges with egg yolk to ensure they don’t open during cooking. Trim off any excess pastry and seal the ends with a fork
Lightly score the top of the wellington with a fork in any pattern you like. You can even cut any leftover pastry into shapes to decorate the top.
Brush egg yolk over the pastry to ensure a shiny finish.
Garnish with flaky salt and thyme leaves (optional.)
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for approximately 40mins, until the pastry is golden brown and and the meat is thoroughly cooked. You can check this by inserting a skewer into the wellington and checking that it comes out piping hot and the juices run clear.
Serve hot with a side of gravy and green vegetables for a delightfully festive meal.