BEST NUT ROAST RECIPE + Porcini Gravy
I've been eating nut roasts since the 90s, so l know a good one when I see/eat one! I'll be making this again on Christmas Day for my family, 2 of whom are veggie & the rest of us will love this nut roast as a stuffing, side dish. A really good nut roast is simply a very jazzy stuffing, so the fancier you make it, the better & more celebratory your nut roast. Chestnuts for the win here, my cupboards are rarely without a packet of @merchantgourmet ready cooked chestnuts in December, I absolutely love them, such a versatile ingredient, sweet or savoury in application
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4, or 6 as a side
Nut Roast:
2 onions, finely diced
1 large leek, finely diced
2 carrots, grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30g butter
Salt & black pepper
30g dried porcini, soaked in 500mls boiling water
3 slices brown bread, finely chopped or blitzed to a coarse crumb
75mls porcini soaking liquid (from above)
200g cooked Merchant Gourmet chestnuts, finely chopped or blitzed to a coarse crumb 400g cooked Merchant Gourmet chickpeas, drained and blitzed to a coarse crumb 2 big sprigs rosemary
100g cheddar, coarsely grated
½ tub mascarpone (about 125g)
1 tosp white or red miso
8 sage leaves
Salt & black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan, line a tin with greaseproof paper.
Cover porcini in 500ml boiling water. Leave to soak. Strain, keeping all liquid. Finely chop softened porcini.
Blitz bread to crumbs, soak in 75ml of porcini liquid, squeeze excess liquid, discard squeezed out liquid, put mushrooms to one side.
Cook onions & leek in butter + big pinch of salt for 10 mins, until v soft & beginning to colour, add carrot & garlic & cook for 5 mins, until liquid cooks away.
Add rosemary & chopped porcini, stir in soaked bread, chestnuts, miso, chickpeas & lots of black pepper. Mix well, remove from heat. Add ¾ cheddar & mascarpone & mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, press down gently. Scatter over remaining cheddar, add sage leaves.
Bake for about 45 mins, until golden & set at edges.
Meaning, melt butter in small pan. Add garlic & sage & cook for 1 min.
Stir in flour, cook for 1 min, whisk in remaining porcini liquid, cook until thickened. Season well, adding a few drops of vinegar to taste.
Serve nut roast, with roast potatoes, favourite veg & porcini gravy.