Caramelised Onion & Nut Roast

If you are looking for a special dish to warm you up on a cold winter's night, I can highly recommend this recipe. It’s a really tasty onion, mushroom and nut filling encased in golden puff pastry. It’s easy to make and serves 7-8. You can also make it ahead and re-heat it, or cut it into portions to freeze. We have it for Christmas every year, served alongside roast potatoes and honey roast parsnips, greens and onion gravy.

For the pastry:

1 x pack 400g (approx) ready-rolled pastry

For the caramelised onions:

• 1 large or two small white onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter or vegan margarine
• 1 teaspoon golden caster sugar

For the filling:

• 3 small red onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
• Few tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary and thyme, leaves only, or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• Half a lemon, juice only
• 1 tablespoon vegetable stock
• 150g mixed cashew nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazils
• 80g sliced blanched almonds
• 80g white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten, or 1 tablespoon vegan oat milk
• Seasoning

Heat the oven to 180C / Gas 6

Take the pastry out of the fridge so that it comes to room temperature while you make the filling.

Heat the butter, sugar and onions in a frying pan. Gently cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until caramelised and soft. Allow to cool

Use the same frying pan to cook the red onion in the 1 tbsp olive oil. When they are soft – which takes about 20 minutes on a low heat- add the chopped mushrooms, herbs, lemon juice and vegetable stock.

Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Chop the nuts in a food processor very briefly. Add the mushroom mixture and process for a few seconds to incorporate. Leave it chunky, but well mixed

Add the breadcrumbs and seasoning and stir.

Mix in half the beaten egg. The other half will be for glazing the top.

To assemble, unroll the pastry on a baking tray, using the paper covering as a non-stick parchment

Spoon the caramelised onions down the centre of the pastry

Add the mushroom nut filling on top.

Cut the pastry sides into diagonal strips about 2cm wide and fold these one at a time over the filling to form a plait.

Brush the top with the reserved half beaten egg or oat milk for vegetarians.

Cook for about 40 minutes until the pastry has risen and turned golden and the filling has heated through.

Can be made the day before and reheated in foil in the oven. Also nice cold of there are any leftovers, served with jacket potatoes and salad. Enjoy!