Step 1

Place the rice, broth, thyme, sage and rosemary into a small saucepan and set it over high heat.

Step 2

Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Allow the rice to simmer for about 40 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed.

Step 3

Remove the pot from heat and allow it to sit with the lid on for at least 5 minutes before uncovering.

Step 4

While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 400°.

Step 5

Toss the squash with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and and toss the mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of oil. Arrange them separately on the baking sheets.

Step 6

Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake until the squash and mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Step 7

Remove the baking sheets from the oven but leave the oven on.

Step 8

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium heat.

Step 9

When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 10

Add the garlic and sauté another minute, until very fragrant.

Step 11

Lower the heat and carefully add the whiskey (Note 4). Raise the heat back to medium, bring the whiskey to a simmer it simmer for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Step 12

Add 1 cup of the cooked rice (Note 5), squash, mushrooms and pecans to the skillet. Stir a few times to mix everything up.

Step 13

Taste-test the mixture at this point (careful, as it will be hot) and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 14

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to incorporate. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Step 15

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 16

Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it to about a 12-inch square. Transfer it to the baking sheet.

Step 17

Pile the filling on the puff pastry, forming a long rectangle extending down the center of the puff pastry sheet. Shape the filling with your hands and pack it in. It should seem like a lot, but you can remove some if it's way too much.

Step 18

Option 1: Braid the dough. Use a knife to cut approximately 1-inch strips down either side of the rectangle, stopping about a half in from the strip of filling. Starting at the bottom, fold the strips inward at a slight diagonal, over the filling, pinching opposite strips together.

Step 19

Option 2: Simply fold the top and bottom ends of the puff pastry over the filling, then wrap the sides overtop to form a log shape, pinching tightly at the seams to form a seal. Poke a few holes in the dough to allow steam to escape.

Step 20

Brush the pastry with the melted butter.

Step 21

Bake the log until golden and puffy, 30-35 minutes.

Step 22

Allow the vegetable Wellington to cool just for a couple minutes, then slice and serve.