Vegan Gravy for Nut Roast

A nut roast is rich, dense and quite sweet, so the gravy beside it needs to be savoury and a bit sharp rather than sweet as well. This one gets its depth from properly browned onions and yeast extract, and a spoonful of cranberry sauce provides the acidity to cut through. Scraping the nut roast tin is the step that ties the plate together.

Ingredients

Makes about 650ml, six servings

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 10 fresh sage leaves, finely shredded
• 2 1/2 tbsp (35g) plain flour
• 750ml (1 1/3 pints) hot vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast extract
• 1 tbsp cranberry sauce check it contains no honey
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• salt and black pepper

Kit

• Saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Whisk

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft, sweet and a deep golden brown. This slow browning is where the savoury base comes from, so do not cut it short.

2. Add the garlic and shredded sage and cook for two minutes. The sage will darken and the smell will turn from grassy to warm and slightly peppery.

3. Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes so it coats the onions and toasts against the hot pan.

4. Add the hot stock a third at a time, whisking hard between each addition until smooth, then stir in the yeast extract until it has fully dissolved.

5. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the floury taste is gone.

6. When the nut roast comes out of the oven, lift it out and pour two ladles of the hot gravy into the empty tin. Scrape the base and sides hard with a wooden spoon to lift every browned crumb, then tip it all back into the pan.

7. Stir in the cranberry sauce, mustard and cider vinegar. Taste and season generously. It should be savoury and slightly sharp, which is exactly what a rich nut roast needs beside it.

Tips worth knowing

• The gravy itself contains no nuts, but it is going on a nut roast, so be clear with guests about what is on the plate.
• Fresh sage is much better than dried here. Dried sage is dusty and tends to taste of stuffing mix.
• Do not skip scraping the roasting tin. That layer is concentrated roasted flavour and it costs you nothing.
• Make it up to the end of step five the day before, then finish it with the tin scrapings on the day.

Keeping and reheating

Four days in the fridge and three months in the freezer. Reheat gently with a splash of stock, whisking as it comes back to a simmer.

Questions people ask