Steve Bush of The Mole & Chicken in Easington provides this week's recipe

I only enjoyed sport, art and home economics at school and was still undecided at 16 as to what career path to take. I received top marks one day for tea and toast in HE and when I got home I told my dad I wanted to be a chef.

He managed to secure me a four-year apprenticeship at Shell Oil in the Strand, London with a day release at Westminster College. I did three years in the fine dining director’s kitchen with chefs from Claridges, Roux Brothers & Le Manoir.

My cooking style is clean and simple modern British. My signature dish is Pork Belly, Scallops, Apple & Black Pudding.

My favourite places to eat and drink around Oxfordshire include Thai at the Crazy Bear in Stadhampton, The Mole inn, Toot Baldon and for a special occasion Le Manoir.

Oxford Mail:

This is quite fancy for me with a fair amount of work involved but the result is fantastic.

A great vegetarian starter for the Autumn months. This dish is new on our A la Carte menu.

Ingredients
Serves 4

* 4 flat mushrooms of equal size
* 1 head of garlic
* Few thyme sprigs
* 1 kilo of spinach, picked & washed.

* 500ml double cream
* 4 duck eggs poached for 3mins and refreshed in iced water
* 500gr of ready rolled puff pastry
* 1 egg yolk for glazing
* Salt and pepper
* Olive oil

Peel the mushrooms and remove the stalks, then place on a roasting tray.

Cut the garlic in half and place on the tray, drizzle generously with olive oil, add thyme sprigs and season.

Roast for 15-20 mins at 200C.

Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for one minute and refresh in iced water, before draining and gently squeezing out excess water.

Reduce the cream in a pan until thickened, being careful not to catch the bottom. Cool. Add the spinach and season well.

Place the duck eggs on top of the cooked mushrooms. Place some of the creamed spinach on top of the egg.

Now make a lattice with pastry by cutting into thin strips and form the lattice as if you were plaiting hair.

Place the mushroom and spinach side down in the centre of the lattice, fold the pastry up the sides and turn over, sealing the pastry underneath.

Place on to a baking tray. Add a pinch of salt to the egg yolk and glaze the pastry.

Bake for 20 minutes at 200C or until the pastry is golden brown.

Place a little heated creamed spinach in the centre of warmed plates.

Sit the Wellington on top and serve.

As I said, a fair amount of work but your guest will surely be impressed when they cut into it to reveal a perfectly runny egg yolk.

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