I’m back in Chicago for Christmas and have been happily very busy, mostly with things involving food. As I’ve written previously, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect veggie roast. Thanksgiving was good practise – and great fun – but Christmas adds an extra layer of “special” since I’ll be spending it with my family.
The veggie loaf I’ve settled on is this Pistachio and Cranberry “Nut Roast”, adapted from Anna Jones’ recipe in the Jamie Oliver magazine of all places. But I really do love it. She bills it as a “nutroast”, but there’s a whole lot more going here – a risotto-style base of barley (or arborio rice), mushrooms, cheese, pistachios of course, plus lots of Christmassy herbs like rosemary and sage. The best part, though, is the cranberry “glaze” on top that makes it actually look pretty appealing, rather than just a vomitty-colored lump of congealedness on a plate. Plus, cranberries are great with pistachios. And cooking the rice in a risotto-like manner with white wine, wild mushrooms and porchini mushrooms gives the loaf that super umami flavour that you really need on Christmas.
I made this for the Thanksgiving crew and everyone enjoyed it. I’ve adapted it slightly to include lentils for added texture. A slice of this veggie roast requires cashew gravy and, if you’re me, my aunt’s killer cranberry chutney.
| Pistachio and Cranberry Veggie Roast |
- A small handful of dried porcini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 90g risotto rice or pearl barley
- 60g puy lentils
- 100ml white wine
- 500ml hot vegetable stock
- 200g mixed wild mushrooms
- 100g pistachios, toasted
- 100g almonds, toasted
- A handful of breadcrumbs from sourdough or ciabatta
- 50g strong cheddar cheese, grated
- 225g ricotta cheese
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 sprigs each of sage, rosemary and thyme, leaves picked and chopped
- 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 200g fresh cranberries
- Cook the puy lentils in boiling water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, make the risotto base: Soak the dried porcini in a little boiling water. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the celery and onion and cook for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Turn up the heat and add the rice. Cook for a minute or so until you hear it snap, crackle and pop, then add the wine and stir until absorbed.
- Drain the porcini, sieve any grit from the liquid and add this to the risotto pan, stirring until absorbed. Finely chop the porcini and add to the pan.
- Add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring each one in until it has been completely absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir as much as you can – this is what will make it creamy. Once the rice is al dente (when you break into a grain, it should be almost cooked through but still have a white fleck in the middle), transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Fry the wild mushrooms in a little olive oil over a medium heat for 5–10 minutes, until they are just starting to crisp. Bash the nuts into coarse pieces, or quickly pulse in a food processor.
- Once the risotto has cooled, add all other ingredients except the sugar and cranberries, season, and mix well.
- Butter a 20cm loaf tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Cook the sugar and the cranberries in a pan over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes, then tip into the tin and spread evenly. Pile on the nut-roast mixture and pack it down with the back of a spoon.
- Cover the whole thing with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Once it’s golden brown on top, remove the nut roast from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes.
- Use a knife to loosen the tin, then place your serving platter or board on top. Cover your hand with a tea towel and flip the whole lot over, then carefully lift the tin off. Serve with cashew gravy and all the trimmings.
Image credit: Many thanks to Emily for snapping the above picture on Thanksgiving. A very happy moment captured!
That looks stunning, and would pride any christmas table.
Have a wonderful festive season.
Cheers
Marcus
That roast does look incredible with the cranberry glaze on top. Filing away for special occasions to cook!