You can ignore the pretentious title. There’s a great saying - which I’m not going to Google and attribute, as it just feels like homespun, hand-me-down, folk knowledge now - which I think goes something like this:
If you need to remember something, write a blog post about it
Well, now that I'm a bit more clean-livin’ these days, I don’t tend to make many roasts.
In fact, tomorrow’s may be the first since last Christmas, which I think tells its own story.
Anyhow, a couple of years I shared my cashew nut roast recipe with my French cohort, and I now always end up searching my email for the recipe I wrote and and shared with them.
Nuts, huh?
So, from now on I can just revisit my own blog if I need to find it again.
And actually just send the link to anyone that I want to share it with in the future.
That’s literally only just occurred to me.
Cashew Nut Roast
Ingredients
- 350g plain cashews (uncooked and unsalted)
- 1 small parsnip, peeled
- 150g mushrooms (about 5 medium sized)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- Half a sprig of rosemary, chopped
- Pinch of dried sage
- Handful of breadcrumbs
- 1 beaten egg
- Some butter for frying & greasing
- Sheet of greaseproof paper
- Foil to cover
Method
You can prep this a day or two before, and then pop in the oven when ready.
For best results, you'll need a loaf tin like this.
Put the cashews in a food processor, and use the blade attachment to blend these down to a rough paste texture. Don’t go too fine early on, as you’ll be adding the parsnip later. Leave the cashews in the processor or bowl.
If you don't have a processor or blender, you can crush the cashews with a rolling pin inside a tea towel (tricky, mind).
Peel the parsnip, and chop into small cubes. Boil in water for four minutes, then drain and leave to cool.
Chop the onion, and in a medium frying pan, gently fry in butter with salt & pepper until soft. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Slice the mushrooms into medium slices, and gently fry in butter in the same frying pan. Add more butter and seasoning if required. Remove just as the mushrooms are starting to give up their moisture, and set aside to cool.
Put the parsnip cubes into the processor and blend briefly until they are chopped and mixed in. Try not to blend too much, leaving some texture.
At this stage you can transfer into a bigger mixing bowl if you have one.
Stir in a handful of breadcrumbs, and then gently stir in the onions mushrooms. Add the rosemary and sage, and more seasoning if required. Finally, add the beaten egg, and stir through.
Grease the inside of the loaf tin with butter. Place greaseproof paper into the tin, and then spoon the mixture into the paper. Level off and cover the top of the tin with foil.
Cook for about 45-60 mins in a 180/200 degree oven. Take the foil off for the last 15-20 mins to brown the top.
To serve, take the tin out of the oven, place upside-down on a wooden board and tap the top to release the roast. Peel off the paper, and cut into thick slices.
Goes well with cranberry sauce.