Cranberry and Lentil Filo Christmas Crackers Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 onions, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
6 sage leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
400 g (13 oz) ready-cooked Puy lentils
1 tablespoon cornflour
Handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
200 g (7 oz) cranberry sauce
6 vegan filo pastry sheets, each about 48 x 25 cm (19 x 10 inches)
Salt and pepper
12 chives, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onions, celery and carrot with the garlic over a medium heat for about 8 minutes until softened.

2. Stir in the sage and cook for a minute or so, then add the tomato purée, spices, soy sauce, Puy lentils and cornflour. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and mix in the parsley and cranberry sauce.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Lay out a filo pastry sheet on a work surface and brush all over with olive oil, then repeat with another 2 filo sheets until you have 3 layers. Cut in half widthways to make 2 rectangles about 24 x 25cm (9½ x 10 inches).

4. Divide the lentil mixture into 6 equal portions. With one of the longer sides nearest to you, form a portion into a long sausage shape in the centre of each rectangle, leaving about a 6cm (2½ inch) clear border at either end. Brush the opposite longer side of the pastry with olive oil, then roll up the pastry from the nearer longer side tightly around the filling and twist at either end like a Christmas cracker so that the excess pastry fans out slightly.

5. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and lentil mixture until you have 6 crackers. Place 3 on each tray, seam-side down, brush all over with olive oil and bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven, and when ready to serve, tie a chive around either end of each cracker.

Recipe extracted from A Very Vegan Christmas by Sam Dixon (£16.99, Hamlyn)

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