CHRISTMAS lunch often demands images of roast meat served with all the traditional trimmings of gravy, bread and vegetables.
But for those who don’t like meat or prefer not to eat meat, it can be hard to find a delicious Christmas lunch option that doesn’t involve processed or “faux” meats.
If you want to enjoy a full Christmas feast, why not try this recipe for a chestnut, spinach and blue cheese roll with creamy leek sauce that includes all the traditional spices of Christmas, but none of the processed fake meats.
Ingredients:
50 grams butter
500 grams 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
240g bag baby spinach
415 gram can chestnut puree
3 large eggs, plus 1egg, slightly whisked, for glazing
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, finely grated
200 gram pack whole cooked chestnuts, halved
85 gram breadcrumbs
220 gram blue Shropshire cheese, rind trimmed and diced
500 gram all-butter puff pastry
Sauce:
500ml vegetable stock
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cornflour
300ml double cream
Method:
1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the leeks and garlic, stir well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the leeks are soft, making sure to stir a few times so the leeks don’t stick. Put the liquid into a bowl and set aside.
2. Wilt the spinach in the pan. Leave to cool and when cold, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Mix together the chestnut puree, three eggs, nutmeg, chestnuts, spinach, breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl and season well. Leave for at least an hour to chill. The mixture will firm.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay out one sheet of puff pastry. Brush all the edges with the remaining egg. Spoon the cool mixture down the middle of the pastry sheet and tuck the edges over the ends. Carefully pull up the other sides to cover the mixture and join in the middle. Brush with more egg to glaze and then poke a few holes in the top and pop in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. Pull from the oven and brush with more egg. Then bake for a further 10 minutes.
7. To make the sauce, heat the stock in a medium pot, add the leeks and boil for five minutes.
8. Take off the heat and set aside two tablespoons of the leeks. Use a hand-held blender to blitz the stock and remaining leeks in the pot, along with the cornflour. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened.
9. Pour in the cream and leeks you set aside earlier and warm through.
The chestnut, spinach and blue cheese roll is best served immediately cut into thick slices and served with the creamy leek sauce.
Note: For a completely vegetarian meal, make sure the cheese used is made with vegetarian rennet and check the ingredient label of the double cream as some brands use gelatine to thicken.
