Sweet potato, chestnut and Stilton wellington recipe

1. Put the sweet potatoes in a large pan of water. Bring to the boil, blanch for 2 minutes, then drain. Leave to cool. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, chilli and thyme, and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
2. Remove from the heat and season the mixture. Stir in the chestnuts and set aside to cool completely. Combine in a bowl with the blanched potatoes. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to around 35cm x 45cm (14in x 18in). Transfer to a floured piece of nonstick baking paper and spoon the potato mixture, lengthways, down the middle. Crumble over the Stilton. Brush the exposed pastry edges with the beaten egg. Fold up the sides to meet in the middle, pinching to seal (and trimming if needed).
3. Crimp each end of the wellington (like a Cornish pastie) and tuck them under to completely seal the filling. Re-roll any leftover bits of pastry and cut into shapes, such as leaves, to decorate the top of the Wellington. Once you're happy with the topping decoration, brush the Wellington all over with a little more egg. Carefully lift the wellington, using the paper to help you, onto a large baking sheet, and then chill for at least 30 minutes, to firm up.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put another baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Transfer the wellington to the hot baking sheet (on the nonstick paper) and bake for 30–40 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

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