How to make a nut roast – recipe | Felicity Cloake Masterclass

The butt of a thousand weary jokes at the expense of the "self-knitted lentil brigade", walnut roast may not be as fashionable as it is a plant-based centerpiece than a whole cauliflower or a Swedish steak, but, filled with luxurious nuts, savory mushrooms and soft, sweet roasted root vegetables, it's a cliche worth dipping into. to be revived. minFor 6 people (with side dishes)

2 large parsnipsSalt and black pepperOil for greasing1 savoy cabbage, 6-8 outer leaves only1 red onion150g chestnut mushrooms100g peeled and cooked chestnuts150g hazelnuts40g butter, or 2 ½ tbsp oil 40g cranberries 100g brown breadcrumbs 1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked 100g stilton (or other vegetarian or vegan cheese of your choice), optional ½ tsp 1 teaspoon mixed spices 1 egg or 2 tablespoons Marmite (or similar)

1 Cook and puree the parsnips

Peel the parsnips, cut them into pieces about equal, then cook them in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and put a lid on the pot to keep the water hot for the next step. Drain the parsnips well, then mash or puree until smooth.

2 Blanch the cabbage

Lightly grease an 21cm x 11cm x 7cm loaf pan with oil, then line it with foil and also generously grease the foil. Remove six of the finest outer leaves from the cabbage, then wash them and cut off the bases. Blanch them in the pot of boiling water for two minutes and fill a large bowl or the sink with ice cold water.

3 Cool the cabbage

Dip the leaves cabbage in ice water, then check that you have enough to line the pan, leaving no gaps; if not, bleach and refresh a few extra sheets. Keep the cabbage leaves in ice water while you make the filling - this will keep them as green as possible, making for a more appealing end result.

4 Start with the filling

Peel and finely chop the onion, and finely chop the mushrooms and chestnuts, keeping them all separate for now. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat, then toast the hazelnuts, shaking the pan regularly until they start to brown; be careful not to burn them. Remove the walnuts from the pan and let cool.

5 Saute the onion and mushrooms

Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter or oil to the pan and sweat onion, stirring occasionally, until soft but not colored. Add mushrooms, cook, stirring regularly, until tender and pan is dry, then pour into large bowl. Turn off the heat under the pan but don't wash it right away.

6 Finish the filling

Roughly chop the hazelnuts and add them to the mushroom bowl, along with the chestnuts chopped, cranberries and breadcrumbs. Finely chop the sage leaves until you have about two tablespoons and add them to the bowl as well. If using cheese, crumble it now, followed by the parsnip puree and spice blend, then stir briefly until everything is evenly distributed.

7 Add the binder

Beat the egg, then add it to the filling mixture (alternatively, mix the pot with 50 ml of hot water and stir instead). Season with salt (if you used stock pot, hold back a little), then check the seasoning by frying a small teaspoon of the topping mixture and adjusting if necessary. If you are cooking the nut roast immediately, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

8 Build the nut roast

Dry it blanched and refreshed cabbage leaves well, then use them to line the prepared pan, overlapping them to ensure there are no gaps and letting any excess hang down the sides. Spoon in the filling mixture, press down firmly, then fold over the overhanging cabbage leaves over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. (You can also store in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.)

9 Finishing Touches

Remove top foil, then toast bread uncovered for another 15 minutes. When ready, place a large serving plate on top of the pan and, holding the pan with potholders, invert it so that the bread flips over on the plate. Carefully peel off the foil, slice and serve.

Fiona Beckett...