Vegan Stuffed Roasted “Joint”
This stuffed roasted turkey-style "joint" with all of the trimmings is the ultimate vegan Christmas roast recipe.
Introduction
This is technical to make but so rewarding when you slice into it. I believe this recipe is powerful enough to help reduce the amount of people having meat on their dinner tables at Christmas – the flavours are incredible!
Ingredients
| For the “turkey”: | |
|---|---|
| 240ml (1 cup) | soy or oat milk |
| 10g (½ cup) | dried mushrooms |
| olive oil, for frying | |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped, sautéed until soft |
| 3 | garlic cloves, finely chopped, sautéed until soft |
| 120ml (½ cup) | white wine |
| 50g (¼ cup) | canned chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed |
| 110g (4oz) | firm tofu, patted dry |
| 3 tbsp | white miso paste |
| 2 tsp | maple syrup |
| 1 tbsp | dried tarragon |
| 1 tbsp | dried thyme |
| 2 tsp | dried rosemary |
| 1 tsp | dried sage |
| 1 tsp | cayenne pepper |
| 2 tsp | sea salt |
| 1 tbsp | cracked black pepper |
| 300g (2¾ cups) | vital wheat gluten |
| For the broth: | |
| 960ml (4 cups) | vegetable stock |
| 480ml (2 cups) | white wine |
| 2 sprigs of | fresh rosemary |
| 2 sprigs of | fresh thyme |
| 1 | onion, quartered |
| Handful of | dried mushrooms |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 3 | garlic cloves, peeled |
| Pinch of | sea salt and pepper |
| For the rub: | |
| 4 tbsp | mixed dried herbs |
| 1 tsp | cayenne pepper |
| ½ tsp | onion salt |
| For the sweet potato and chestnut stuffing: | |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | leek, finely chopped |
| 2 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| 1 tbsp | dried sage |
| 2 tsp | dried rosemary |
| ½ tsp | ground cinnamon |
| 150g (5½oz) | sweet potato, peeled, cubed and steamed |
| 95g (½ cup) | dried apricots, finely chopped |
| 45g (¼ cup) | dried cranberries, finely chopped |
| 50g (¾ cup) | breadcrumbs (gluten-free if necessary) |
| 100g (3½oz) | vacuum-packed chestnuts, chopped |
| 200g (1 cup) | canned chickpeas (garbanzos) or butterbeans |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| For the glaze: | |
| 3 tbsp | cranberry sauce |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tbsp | tomato purée (paste) |
| 1 tbsp | soy sauce |
| 2 tbsp | maple syrup |
| Pinch of | sea salt and pepper |
| For the gravy: | |
| 2 tbsp | cornflour (cornstarch) |
| 2 tbsp | cranberry sauce |
| 2 tbsp | Marmite |
Essential kit
You will need: a blender and an old-fashioned potato masher.
Method
First up, you will need to make the “turkey”: combine all the ingredients except the vital wheat gluten in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer (with the dough hook attached) and add the vital wheat gluten. Mixing slowly, combine everything to form a rough dough.
Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for at least 10 minutes by hand, or do this in your mixer on medium speed. This is the most important part of the recipe – if you don’t knead it properly you will be left with a horrible spongy texture. Be very firm!
Once kneaded, the dough should be quite firm and elastic. Use a rolling pin to bash and roll the dough into a rough rectangle around 1.25cm (1/2in) thick. Set the dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Add the broth ingredients to a large roasting tray, around 40 x 28 x 8cm (16 x 11 x 3in). Cut a piece of muslin (cheesecloth) slightly larger than the dough rectangle.
Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the dough. Cover the dough well in the spice mix, as this stops it sticking. Place the dough spice-side down onto the muslin.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Make your stuffing. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek, garlic, herbs, cinnamon and cooked sweet potato and sauté until the leek has softened and the potato has browned. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined. Turn the heat off and, using an old-fashioned potato masher, lightly mash the mix. Break down any large chunks of sweet potato and the chickpeas/butterbeans. Spoon the stuffing across the middle of the dough and roll it up around the stuffing, moulding the edges together and sealing really well. Wrap the dough in the muslin as tightly as possible. Twist the ends, then tie them tightly with cook’s string. Make sure your dough is a nice cylindrical shape.
Place the “joint” wrap into the roasting tray with the broth ingredients, then cover the tray with foil. Place the tray into the oven for 2 hours. Turn over half way through cooking and add additional stock if needed. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to lift the “joint” out of the broth and, when cool enough to handle, carefully remove the muslin. The “joint” can now be wrapped in cling film (plastic wrap) and placed into the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Reserve the broth liquid as it makes a great gravy.
An hour before you want to serve, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place the “joint” in a large baking tray. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze together, then brush lashings of it all over the “joint”. Bake for 25 minutes. While the “joint” is cooking, add the reserved broth liquid to a saucepan and place it over a high heat to reduce it down until thick. If it’s not thickening well, combine the cornflour with a splash of water, then add this to the gravy to help it thicken. Stir in the cranberry sauce and the Marmite for a richer flavour.
Serve the roasted joint straight away, sliced and with all the trimmings!
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