Do you ever look at those Quorn Fillets in the freezer section, then not buy them because you don’t know what to do with them? Me too. Then I decided to have a go at adapting meat-based recipes and came across this Creamy Tarragon Chicken Bake on the BBC Good Food website and turned it into a Creamy Tarragon Quorn Fillet Bake instead.
The original recipe is gluten- and dairy-free, using rice flour instead of wheat flour, and dairy-free cheese, but I used what ingredients I already had, so this version isn’t gluten- or dairy-free. It is chicken-free though.
This was nice and creamy, but I found it a bit bland (probably because I forgot to season it – I’ve made it before and it wasn’t bland then). The Meat Eater enjoyed it though.
Creamy Tarragon Quorn Fillet Bake (serves 4)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml soya milk
1 pack Quorn Fillets, defrosted
2 red onions, cut into wedges
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
250g asparagus spears, blanched
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
150ml vegetable stock
3 tbsp chopped tarragon
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp grated cheese
- Mix half the oil and flour in a saucepan (off the heat), then blend in the soya milk. Bring the sauce slowly to the boil, whisking constantly, then simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat remaining oil in a frying pan, add the Quorn fillets, then fry for 2-3 minutes or until they go brown. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Add the onions to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes. Spoon over the Quorn fillets, then top with the tomatoes and asparagus. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Put the sugar and vinegar into the pan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is a dark caramel colour, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Whisk into the milky sauce until blended, seasons, then add the tarragon. Spoon sauce over the Quorn fillets and veg, sprinkle with crumbs and cheese, then bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.