Porcini and Cashew Nut Roast

We love this Porcini and Cashew Nut Roast. Ever since Bibi had enough teeth to gnaw on more than a banana, nut roast has been our special occasion dinner. Births, marriages, bar mitzvahs – you know the type of thing. We’d probably eat it at funerals too if we could find a way of making it suitable for finger food buffets. (Note to self: work on this).

We’ve tried gazillions of recipes over the years and have invented many a marvellous one. This is one of the very, very best. We’re not even going to go in to the nutritional detail. You know it has plenty of protein from the cashews and you’re well aware that the porcini are low fat, low calorie and low cholesterol.  But that’s not what really matters, is it? The porcini mushrooms give it a rich, deep flavour. It’s moist, delicious and a proper treat. Who cares if Santa Claus is coming to town if you have this for dinner? This Porcini and Cashew Nut Roast is for life, not just for Christmas.

Note: If you’d prefer a vegan nut roast, you have two options. One is to just leave the egg out, which will make the nut roast slightly crumblier but just as tasty. Or you can use one tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds with three tablespoons of water. Leave for fifteen minutes and use as the ‘egg’ in the recipe.

Serve with our Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy.

Photo by Zsolt: mothershipUK.com

Porcini and Cashew Nut Roast

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 2 sticks celery, sliced
• 40g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 300ml hot water
• 100g chestnut mushrooms (though white mushrooms will do)
• 150g cashews
• 75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the over to 180C / 170C fan / 350F / Gas 4.
2. Grease medium-sized loaf tin and line it with greaseproof paper. Note: it's easiest to do this with one strip that goes sideways and another that goes lengthwise.
3. Saute the leek, onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Drain and slice the porcini mushrooms. Note: SAVE the water from the mushrooms - you'll need it for the Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy. Add the porcini and the chestnut mushrooms to the sauteed vegetables. Saute for 10 more minutes until the mushrooms are softened but not soggy.
5. Stir in the cashews (you can buzz them a bit in a food processor first or add them whole). Add the breadcrumbs, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the beaten egg and stir well.
7. Place in the loaf tin, making sure to press it right into the corners, and cook for 50-60 minutes. Check after about 40 minutes and place a sheet of foil over the top if it's starting to brown too much.

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