Terrines Through the Seasons: Nut Roast

Nut Roast Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large parsnips
• 1 Savoy cabbage (6-8 outer leaves)
• 1 red onion
• 3.5 oz. cooked and peeled chestnuts
• 5 oz. hazelnuts
• 3 Tbsp. butter or oil
• 2 oz. fresh cranberries
• 3.5 oz. brown breadcrumbs
• 1 bunch sage
• 3.5 oz. Stilton cheese (or a vegan cheese of your choice)
• ½ tsp. mixed spice
• 1 egg (or 2 Tbsp. Marmite)
• Salt and pepper
• Oil for greasing pan

Notes:

By replacing butter with oil, Stilton cheese with a vegan cheese (or eliminating cheese) and the egg with Marmite, the recipe can be made vegetarian and vegan.

Marmite is a British spread for toast and other uses, made from yeast extract that is a by-product of brewing beer. Available online or in specialty stores, it is savory and salty and a source of B vitamins.

Packets of cooked and peeled chestnuts are available in many supermarkets.

For brown breadcrumbs, toast cubes of pumpernickel and then grind into crumbs. You may also try Boston brown breadcrumbs prepared the same way. It’s important to use a bread made with molasses.

For mixed spice, try Quatre spices, a French mixture made from ground white peppercorns, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Use 2 Tbsp. pepper and 1 Tbsp. each of the other spices.

Directions:

Peel the parsnips, cut them into equal chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling, salted water until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, then mash or puree until smooth. Put a lid on the pot to keep the water hot.

Brush the bottom and sides of a standard loaf pan with oil, then line with 2 aluminum foil slings. Oil the foil, too. Carefully pull off 6-8 unblemished outer leaves from the head of Savoy cabbage. Fill a large bowl with ice water, then blanch the leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. To keep leaves as green as possible, scoop them into the ice water and leave them there until you line the pan. Make sure you have enough leaves to line the pan with no gaps.

To make the filling, peel and finely chop the onion, mushrooms, and chestnuts, keeping them separate for now. Heat a dry frying pan on medium-high heat and toast the hazelnuts until they color. Remove from the pan and cool.

Turn down heat to medium, add butter or oil and cook onion until soft, but not brown. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft, and all moisture has evaporated. Put into a large bowl. Turn off the heat but don’t wash up the pan.

Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and add to the onions and mushrooms, along with the chopped chestnuts, cranberries, and breadcrumbs. Finely chop enough sage to make 2 Tbsp. and add to mixture, followed by the crumbled cheese (if you are using), the mashed parsnips and mixed spice. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.

Beat the egg and stir into the filling. Alternatively, stir 2 Tbsp. Marmite with 1 Tbsp. hot water and add to the mix. If you’re baking the nut roast right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To check for seasoning, fry a small portion of the filling in the pan you used for the onions and mushrooms. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

To line the pan, remove cabbage leaves from the ice water and dry thoroughly with towels or paper towels. Line bottom of pan first, then place leaves along the sides, leaving the excess to hang over. Spoon the filling into the pan, pressing it down well, then fold the overhanging cabbage leaves over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil from the top, then roast the loaf uncovered for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, then place a platter on top of the pan. Using oven gloves, turn them over so the loaf inverts onto the platter. Remove the pan, carefully peel off the foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Alternatively, the nut roast can be placed in the refrigerator overnight and roasted the next day.