Today, I am looking in the direction of Louisiana and the South to make something a little spicy. Something you can dip into a homemade Spicy Creole Sauce. Let’s make the dish a little more bold and savory by making a Creole Mustard to slather on the Hot Link. We are talking about a Hot link brushed with Creole Mustard, wrapped in a Crescent filled with a mushroom Duxelle and Pâté. You might ask, “Why so fancy?” My answer is that sometimes you need to treat yourself a little bit.

Also, this recipe would be perfect as an appetizer for a party! Don’t worry if you aren’t into a lot of spice. Just reduce the amount of Creole Seasoning or Hot Sauce in the recipe. It’s time to experiment and make a Hot Link (Wellington) Crescent. Creole cooking is typically not as spicy as Cajun cooking. But don’t let that stop you from choosing a favorite spice level. As they say in New Orleans, Laissez les bons temps rouler. Let the Good Times Roll

Check here for more recipes and discussions on the differences between Cajun and Creole Cooking.

**Some of My Ingredients Used In Making My Hot Link Crescent**

A Quick Video on the Making of My Hot Link (Wellington) Crescent

The Traditional Beef Wellington

The most popular theory on the origin of Beef Wellington links the dish to Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. The Traditional Beef Wellington most closely resembles the French filet de boeuf en croute and may well have been renamed the Beef Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo, rather than being a dish specifically created for the Duke of Wellington. Beef Wellington’s popularity grew significantly in the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States, with Julia Child featuring it on her show.

When researching Beef Wellington, you may find other proteins such as chicken or salmon, utilized as the protein wrapped in a pastry. The traditional standard ingredients in all the recipes are to use a protein wrapped in a Duxelle of mushrooms and Pâté wrapped in a Puff Pastry. Is my Southern-style dish a true Wellington? Can we call my dish a Hot Link Wellington? Sure, why not! The recipe may not include beef, but it has all the other traditional standard ingredients.

Let’s Talk About Sauces

We are using two special sauces/condiments in this recipe that help to make this such a standout dish:

Creole Sauce is a flavorful, tomato-based sauce that’s a staple in Creole cuisine, particularly in Louisiana. It’s known for its spicy and tangy taste and is typically made with a combination of the “Holy Trinity” (onions, bell peppers, and celery), tomatoes, garlic, and various seasonings and spices. It’s the perfect sauce to dip a slice of my Hot Link (Wellington) Crescent. You might want to serve this dish as an appetizer for a small dinner party or just as a starter for the family.

Creole Mustard is a spicy, stone-ground mustard with a grainy texture from using whole mustard seeds and has a bold flavor, originating from Louisiana. It’s prepared by marinating brown mustard seeds in vinegar and spices. It’s a versatile condiment, often used in Creole and Southern cuisine, and is a key ingredient in a New Orleans-style remoulade sauce. We are using Creole Mustard to slather on our Hot Link before it gets wrapped and surrounded by the mushroom Duxelle and Prosciutto. Use the Creole mustard as a secondary dipping sauce. Choices are always good!!

An Issue to Be Aware Of

Making a Wellington has one issue we should be aware of. We need to ensure that the crust doesn’t get soggy. There is a lot of liquid in the mushrooms. We need to do what we can to eliminate any issue that can ruin our pastry. It’s important that we slowly cook the mushrooms so that all the liquid in the mushrooms evaporates. One additional fix is wrapping the mushroom Duxelle with Prosciutto. Another way to reduce the possibility of a soggy crust is to preheat a baking sheet in the oven. We can then place our Wellington on the hot baking sheet so that the bottom cooks evenly and crisps up properly. The heat from the baking sheet helps to set the pastry quickly, creating a barrier against moisture and promoting a golden-brown, crisp crust.

I hope you are excited about trying this new recipe. Make sure to taste your Creole Mustard and Creole Sauce, and feel free to adjust the spice levels to you and your family’s tastes. For me, I like to raise the spice level a bit. Please leave your comments below and let me know what your thoughts are on the recipe. As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

Hot Link (Wellington) Crescent

Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

2 Hot Links
2 Crescent dough, premade
Pate
6 Strips Prosciutto
Duxelle
6 Oz Baby Belle Mushrooms, fine dice
4 Oz Shiitake mushrooms, fine dice (You can use dried; re-hydrate first)
1 Shallot, fine dice
1 Garlic clove, fine dice
Cajun /Creole Sauce
2 Tbl Avocado oil
1 Medium Onion, small dice
2 Stalks Celery, small dice
1 Medium Red Bell pepper, small dice
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Chicken broth, low sodium
14 Oz Can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbl Louisiana Style Hot Sauce
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Thyme, dry
1 tsp White pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
Sauce finishing ingredients
4 Tbl Butter
3 Stalks Green onion, cut into thin slices
2 Tbl Finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Creole Mustard
1 Cup Stoneground mustard
4 tsp Honey
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Creole / Cajun seasoning
2 tsp Louisiana Hot sauce (Chrystal or Louisiana Brands)
3 tsp Horseradish

Directions

Creole Sauce
Add oil to a 14 inch skillet. Add diced onions, celery, and bell pepper (holy trinity) to the skillet and place over medium heat.
Cook veggies until they soften. Set aside
Add remaining sauce ingredients to a 3-quart saucepan. Set the sauce to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add veggies to your saucepan. The sauce should cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens to your desired texture. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove bay leaves. Take an immersion blender to the sauce if you prefer a smoother texture.
Sauce finishing ingredients
Add butter and stir well. Add parsley and green onions and stir well. Salt, pepper, hot sauce to taste.
Duxelle
Fine dice all mushrooms and set aside
Fine dice garlic and shallots. Set aside.
Set the stove top to low-medium. Add mushrooms, shallots, and garlic to a large skillet.
It should take about 20 minutes for the mixture to thicken. Cook the mushrooms thoroughly, stirring constantly, until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown,
Remove the duxelle from the heat when finished and place it in a bowl. Set aside to cool down.
Once the duxelle has cooled down, add the paté in with the duxelle, stir and mix well.
Place the duxelle/paté mixture in the fridge and set aside. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes to overnight.
Creole mustard
Add all the ingredients into a mason jar or bowl overnight so that the flavors can all come together.
Wrapping and Cooking the Hot Link
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a small baking sheet into the oven.
Place a layer of Saran Wrap on your countertop. Place a layer of the prosciutto over the Saran Wrap. Next, layer the duxelle/paté mixture. Then add the Hot Link slathered with the Creole Mustard. Check the video above to view the way to add your layers.
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Set up some Saran Wrap on the counter. Stretch out the pastry into a 10 by 10 inch square and place on the Saran Wrap. Dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. Wrap the protein so that the seam is on the top.
Make sure you have pinched the seam and the ends of the pastry so that the duxelle is all enclosed. Place the Wellington (seam down) on the baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven.
Bake until the Wellington becomes golden brown
Since our Wellington does not have a steak in the middle, we do not need to let it rest for 15 minutes. It is time to serve. Add some of your Creole Sauce to your plate or add sauce to a dipping bowl. Enjoy!