Valerie’s upside-down parsnip nut roast

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus soaking and cooling time Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves 8

With quinoa for fluffiness and a caramelised top, this nut roast has the wow factor. The recipe is from Valerie Berry, who does the styling for my Telegraph recipes. ‘You can prepare this partly in advance and bake it at the last minute,’ she says.

INGREDIENTS

– 20g dried porcini

– 2 bay leaves

– 3 spring onions,

chopped

– 100g ciabatta, cut into

small pieces – about ½ nutmeg,

freshly grated

– 350g onions, finely

chopped

– 3 tbsp olive oil, plus

extra for the foil

– 90g each pecans, walnuts and blanched hazelnuts, not too finely chopped

– 35g each pine nuts and pistachios, not too finely chopped

– 170g cooked quinoa, or use Merchant Gourmet ready-to-eat red and white quinoa – 1½ tbsp white miso

paste

– 1½ tbsp wholegrain

mustard

– 20g coriander or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

– 600g parsnips, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes

– 100ml agave nectar

– 3 tbsp cider vinegar

– 2 tsp chopped rosemary

– 3 large eggs, beaten

– ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the chutney

– 400g good -quality cranberry sauce

– about 3 tbsp Indian tamarind chutney

METHOD

Place the porcini in a bowl and cover with 350ml hot water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain over a saucepan (to reserve the stock), chop and set aside. Add the bay leaves and spring onions to the mushroom stock. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the ciabatta, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside. The bread will absorb all the stock.

Pan-fry the onion in the oil over a mediumhigh heat for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Add the nuts and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool, then incorporate the quinoa, porcini ciabatta (without the bay leaves), chopped porcini, miso, mustard and coriander or parsley. Adjust the seasoning.

Blanch the parsnip cubes in salted water for a minute. Drain and leave to cool. You can do everything up to this point a few hours ahead or even the day before you want to serve.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan/ gas mark 4. Line a 20cm spring-form tin with a large square of baking paper. Crumple it first, then flatten it out; it will be easier to line the tin.

Put the agave nectar in a medium-sized frying pan (big enough to hold the parsnips) and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until it starts to caramelise. When it reaches a golden caramel colour, add the vinegar and rosemary (be careful: it will spatter) and a large pinch of salt. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the parsnip pieces and stir carefully, making sure all the pieces are coated. Cover the bottom of the tin with the caramelised parsnip pieces.

Mix the eggs and bicarbonate of soda, add to the nut mixture and stir until well blended. Spread the mixture over the parsnips and level the top with the back of a spoon. Cover tightly with greased foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an extra 20-25 minutes, until slightly crusty and pleasantly bouncy to the touch. Let the roast rest for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a serving plate.

While it rests, warm up the cranberry sauce and mix in the tamarind chutney, to taste. Serve wedges of nut roast with the cranberry chutney.