Mushroom Wellington alla Chitarra
The Beef Wellington is one of the most iconic dishes of British cuisine. But, let’s be honest, the duxelles in a Wellington (when done right) is as satisfying as the pastry crust and as mouth-watering as the beef. It ties the entire room together through its earthy flavor and texture, and without it, a Wellington would just be a weird long steak empanada.
This wild mushroom Wellington alla chitarra is all about honing in on what makes that umami punch to the tastebuds so special. A combination of very earthy mushrooms and garum that are chopped so finely that each bite is smothered in them. The addition of the pancetta works in a level of meaty salinity, while the croissant breadcrumb closes the deal with the puff pastry DNA of a classic Wellington. Save this for a chilly and rainy night if you can for that full London effect.
The Recipe
Difficulty: Medium
Prep. time: 15 min.
Cook time: 40 min.
Serves: 4
Special Equipment
N/A
Notes
N/A
Ingredients
17.6 oz. bronze cut spaghetti alla chitarra*
7 oz. maitake mushrooms - finely diced
8 oz. oyster mushrooms - finely diced
7 oz. shiitake mushrooms - finely diced
1 tbsp. mushroom garum (optional)
1 shallot - very finely diced
4 oz. pancetta - diced
1 good crusty croissant
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Pecorino Romano (optional)
Preparation
01.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Tear the croissant into bite-sized pieces and lay crust side down on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the pieces are golden brown. Remove from the croissant croutons and let cool. Once cool to the touch, crush by hand or blender/food processor to create fine bread crumbs.
02.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add croissant crumbs, salt, and pepper to taste and stir frequently. The crumbs will begin to form larger pieces. Once toasted and fragrant remove breadcrumbs from the pan and reserve for later.
03.
In a small sauce pan over medium heat add diced pancetta. After about 5 minutes reduce to medium-low and render until crispy - about 10 additional minutes. Bring heat to low and reserve for later.
04.
In a large deep sauté pan over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in the shallots and stir until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, garum, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for about 5 minutes and add in the thyme. Reduce heat to low - mushrooms will continue to reduce by about half.
05.
Bring a large stock pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta to the water and cook until a little before al dente, about 9 minutes. Before straining reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water.
06.
Strain the pasta and add to the pan with the mushroom duxelles, 4 tablespoons of butter, and pasta water. Season with black pepper to taste, and toss over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
07.
Divide into 4 portions and and drizzle remaining sauce over the four bowls. Top with pancetta and the croissant breadcrumb. Add cheese if needed (it won’t be.)
Footnotes
*Spaghetti alla chitarra is typically made with fresh pasta dough and a chitarra. Chitarras are a serious investment, so buying a good version of it dry is totally acceptable to get the same chew without all the effort.