Preparation Notes
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the roast
- 25g butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 225g carrots finely grated
- 2 celery sticks finely chopped
- 225g pine nuts chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 free-range eggs
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg grated
For the sauce
- 7g dried mushrooms rinsed
- 600ml water
- 25g butter
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp vegetarian Madeira or fortified wine
- 2 tbsp shoyu
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 500g/1lb loaf tin.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion, without browning, for 5 minutes, then add the carrot and celery and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the pine nuts, parsley, lemon juice and eggs.
- Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and firm in the centre.
- To prepare the sauce: Put the mushrooms and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to soak for 40 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid and chop the mushrooms.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the mushrooms and gently cook for 30 minutes until tender.
- Mix the cornflour with the reserved liquid, Madeira and shoyu, then add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring until slightly thickened. Season to taste.
- To serve: Turn the roast out onto a plate, slice thickly and drizzle with the mushroom sauce. Serve with roast potatoes, sprouts, carrots and all the trimmings for a classic vegetarian Christmas feast that will be a sure-fire hit year after year.