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Vegetarian filo Christmas wreath

Name: Vegetarian filo Christmas wreath
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: PT50-60M
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients: 170g celeriac, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes; 150g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved; 1 heaped tsp finely chopped rosemary, plus extra sprigs to garnish; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large leek, very finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 banana shallot (echalion shallot), finely chopped; 90g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped; 40g stale bread (any will do), whizzed to breadcrumbs; 150g mixed unsalted nuts, roughly chopped; 20g sunflower seeds; 100g stilton, crumbled; 2 tbsp brown sauce; 2 medium eggs, beaten; 7 sheets (270g pack) filo pastry; 40g unsalted butter; Fresh (or frozen defrosted) cranberries to decorate – optional

By: Food writer, Elly Curshen

Published: 24 Oct 24
Updated: 24 Oct 24

These days, vegetarians at the Christmas table are accustomed to main courses that look and taste extraordinary. Food writer Elly Curshen’s spectacular vegetarian filo-wrapped wreath takes things to another level.

Elly says:“Although this is designed as ‘the veggie option’, I guarantee everyone will want a piece! You can double the filling and freeze half for another day.”

About the author Elly made a name for herself with Pear Café in Bristol, which she opened in 2006. Things took off for Elly a few years later with her bestselling book Fast Days And Feast Days, and two more books followed. She’s appeared on TV and radio and has been a food columnist for newspapers and magazines, as well as appearing on the judging panel for numerous awards. Follow Elly on Instagram @ellypear

Easy
November 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 1 hour, plus cooling. Oven time 50-60 min

Elly says:“Although this is designed as ‘the veggie option’, I guarantee everyone will want a piece! You can double the filling and freeze half for another day.”

Nutrition: Per serving (for 8)

Calories: 411kcals
Fat: 25g (8.1g saturated)
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrates: 30g (5.5g sugars)
Fibre: 5.3g
Salt: 0.8g

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Before you start

You can make the filling and freeze for 3 months. Defrost fully before constructing and baking.

Depending on how well you stuff your filo parcels, you might have filling left. You can either bake it separately in a dish (like stuffing), or freeze it for round two.

Before you start

You can make the filling and freeze for 3 months. Defrost fully before constructing and baking.

Depending on how well you stuff your filo parcels, you might have filling left. You can either bake it separately in a dish (like stuffing), or freeze it for round two.

Ingredients

170g celeriac, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
150g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved
1 heaped tsp finely chopped rosemary, plus extra sprigs to garnish
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, very finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 banana shallot (echalion shallot), finely chopped
90g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
40g stale bread (any will do), whizzed to breadcrumbs
150g mixed unsalted nuts, roughly chopped
20g sunflower seeds
100g stilton, crumbled
2 tbsp brown sauce
2 medium eggs, beaten
7 sheets (270g pack) filo pastry
40g unsalted butter
Fresh (or frozen defrosted) cranberries to decorate – optional

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Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the celeriac, mushrooms, rosemary and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season well with salt, toss to combine, then spread out on a large baking tray and roast for 30-35 minutes or until browned and the mushrooms are starting to shrivel.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek, garlic, shallot and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until very soft.
Tip everything from the roasting tray and the pan into a mixing bowl. Stir in the chestnuts, breadcrumbs, nuts, seeds, stilton and brown sauce, then leave to cool completely. Mix in the beaten eggs.

Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Remove the filo from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Take a sheet of filo and lay it flat on a dry work surface (leave the rest covered with a damp, clean tea towel). Fold the sheet in half lengthways to find the middle, then open it back up and use the line as a guide to cut it in half to create 2 long rectangles. Brush a piece with melted butter, then add a heaped tbsp of the filling (about 60g) to the end nearest you. Fold the filo up and over the filling to encase it, then fold the parcel over again. Fold the long sides of the entire pastry inwards by about 1cm, then fold the parcel of filling over once more. You should be left with a parcel of filo-wrapped filling with a long length of pastry above it. Gather up the length of pastry by pinching it into small pleats, bunching it up towards both you and the parcel until the pleated bit is the same size as the parcel.
Flip the parcel over and onto the bunched up pastry, then turn the whole thing over so the pleats are on top. Pinch both open ends of the parcel, forming an leaf shape and keeping the pleats in place. The bottom of the parcel should be smooth and the top should be pleated. Repeat this with all the filling and filo to create 14 pleated parcels, packing them in 2 circular rows on the lined oven tray as you work to form a wreath.
Brush everything liberally with melted butter, then put a small ramekin or heatproof bowl in the centre to help keep the shape. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
Carefully slide the wreath off the baking paper onto a large serving plate, then decorate with rosemary sprigs and cranberries.