Pastry layers with wild mushrooms, Norfolk asparagus and blue cheese dressing

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For this wild mushroom recipe from Galton Blackiston, try using a mixture of pied de mouton, chanterelles and trompettes. Presented like a deconstructed mushroom pasty or pie, this is a fabulous, richly flavoured dish with its asparagus spears and blue cheese dressing. If preparing this dish for vegetarians, replace Binham blue cheese with a blue cheese made with vegetarian rennet - your cheesemonger should be able to suggest alternatives. Our collection of vegetarian recipes features a range of meat-free dishes that are sure to be enjoyed by everyone.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pastry

Blue cheese dressing

Asparagus and wild mushrooms

To plate

  • 1 handful of salad leaves

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Method

1
To make the pastry, place the flour, cheddar, butter and cayenne pepper in a food processor and blitz quickly to combine. Add the egg yolk and process again until the pastry comes together in a dough. Divide the dough in half, shape into two balls and wrap individually in cling film. Leave to rest in the fridge for an hour
2
For the wild mushrooms, heat a frying pan and quickly fry the shallots and garlic in the oil until soft, then add the wild mushrooms and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking over a high heat until the mushrooms soften. Transfer to a bowl and add the chopped parsley. Leave to cool
3
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4
4
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about an inch. Using a palette knife, cut the pastry into 12 neat rectangles, 7.5cm long and 5cm wide, re-rolling any trimmings
5
Transfer the rectangles to a baking tray lined with baking parchment, leaving a little space between them. Cover the biscuits with another sheet of baking parchment and place another baking tray on top to hold down the pastry. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave the biscuits to cool on the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack
6
Meanwhile, make a start on the dressing; whisk the honey, mustard and a good pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl, then whisk in the vinegar. Slowly pour in the oil and the lemon juice, whisking constantly. Check the seasoning and add the shallot and crumbled blue cheese. Set aside for later
7
Cook the asparagus in a pan of boiling water until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water
8
To plate, lay a pastry biscuit on each plate. Spoon some mushrooms along the pastry and top with two asparagus spears. Cover with another pastry layer and add the remaining mushrooms and asparagus. Put the final pastry layer on top. Spoon the dressing around and garnish with young salad leaves
  • 1 handful of salad leaves
First published in 2015

There can't be many Michelin-starred chefs who started out selling homemade cakes, biscuits and preserves on a market stall in Rye in 1979. Yet, the quietly spoken, endearingly eccentric Galton Blackiston isn't like other chefs.

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