25 Days of Christmas Recipes, Day 7: Mini Miso Mushroom Puddings with Miso and Apple Sauce (Vegetarian)

Day 7 and we’ve hit one of my favourite recipes. I made these for the first time as one course in a meal designed for friends we’d made after moving to France, post-pandemic. I’d never made anything like them before but the recipe, one night, just came to my head and I decided to trial it (with no practice for the full course meal for these friends). It ended up being a great success and I knew when I had to write a Vegetarian Christmas Main Course recipe that it had to be this one (especially once my Mum told me I had to include it as she wanted to eat it again). I would honestly choose these puddings over any Meat Course created for this Christmas menu. That’s not even hyperbole. These puddings just taste too good to pass up. Quite often, as well, I’ll make the puddings (bar the final cook through in the oven) the day before and then I just have to reheat them for the meal on the final day. A perfect, simple and tasty recipe for a busy Christmas day (or any day. I would eat these any day of the year).

Ingredients:

PASTRY

• 200g Plain Flour
• 10g Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 1tsp Paprika
• 1tsp Turmeric
• 100g Vegetarian Suet
• 165ml Water

FILLING

• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 1 Large Garlic Clove, finely chopped
• 200ml Apple Juice
• 500g Button Mushrooms
• 200g Chestnut Mushrooms
• 2 heaped tbsps Miso Paste
• 1tbsp Butter
• 1tbsp Vegetable Oil
• ½ Lemon
• Large handful of Coriander or Parsley, finely chopped
• 100ml Double Cream

SAUCE

• 300ml Apple Juice
• 2tbsps Miso
• 1tbsp Cornflour
• 250ml Double Cream

Method:

PASTRY

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder, spices and salt into a bowl. Mix.
2. Mix the suet through your flour.
3. Make a well in the mixture and add the water. Mix the water into the flour until you have a reasonably-stiff dough. If need be add some more water.
4. Wrap in cling-film and rest in the fridge for an hour whilst you make your filling.

FILLING

1. Clean the fresh mushrooms with a damp piece of kitchen paper.
2. Slice these mushrooms and put into a medium bowl.
3. Put a large pan on a medium heat and melt oil and butter until frothy.  Add onion and cook until soft and translucent.
4. Add your garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
5. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring little and often until the mushrooms are starting to brown.
6. When the mushrooms are a brown colour turn the heat up to high and cook until almost all the liquid from the mushrooms has gone.
7. Add the apple juice and cook until reduced by ¾.
8. Add miso paste, cook for a couple of minutes then reduce to medium/low heat.
9. Add the juice of ½ lemon and cream and stir until thoroughly combined.   Allow the liquid to reduce by half then add parsley or coriander and season to taste.  
10. Take of the heat and allow to cool slightly.

ASSEMBLEY

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease 4 mini pudding basins with butter.
3. Roll out three-quarters of your pastry on a floured board until 0.5cm thick.
4. Cut circles out of your rolled out pastry and use them to line the inside of your pudding basins.
5. Roll out the remainder of your dough until the same thickness. Cut out circles the size of the top of your pudding basins.
6. Using a tbsp, fill your puddings with your mushroom filling.
7. Brush cold water over the top of your pudding basins and pastry.
8. Top with your circle of pastry and use your fingers to push the edges gently together. 
9. Place your pudding basins into a large, deep oven tray. Pour hot water into the tray until it reaches halfway up the pudding moulds. Cover the tray with tin-foil and place in your preheated oven.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked all the way through. When you remove them from the oven turn the heat up to 200 degrees C/Gas Mark 6.
11. Allow to cool for ten minutes and then, using a small knife, gently remove them from the basins and onto another oven tray. Place back in the oven for ten minutes or until crisp and golden on the outside (you can also leave them in the fridge after their first cook and reheat in the same way in the oven the next day or night, straight from the fridge).
12. Serve with Miso and Apple Sauce (next page).

SAUCE

1. Put apple juice in a small pan over high heat and bring to boil.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and reduce the apple juice by half.
3. Add the miso and reduce again by half.
4. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cornflour until the sauce starts to thicken.
5. Add cream and put over a low heat until all the ingredients are combined and the sauce is thick and creamy.
6. Pass through a sieve. Season to taste and serve hot with your Mushroom Puddings.