By Hollie Harris
“You don’t need beef for a hearty Sunday roast. This vegetarian twist on a classic is cheaper, quicker and equally delicious, complete with Yorkshire puddings and a vegie gravy.” – Matt Preston.
INGREDIENTS
1kg Kent pumpkin, unpeeled, cut into 3.5cm wedges, halved crossways
6 small potatoes, unpeeled, halved
2 large red onions, peeled, quartered leaving bases intact
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch baby carrots, peeled, trimmed
Cooked baby peas, to serve
Fresh baby continental parsley, to serve
English mustard, to serve
Horseradish cream, to serve
VEGETARIAN GRAVY
50g butter
100g sliced Swiss brown mushrooms
1L (4 cups) vegetable stock
60ml (1/4 cup) sweet sherry or muscat
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon Vegemite
YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
190g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
250ml (1 cup) milk
4 eggs
125ml (1/2 cup) grapeseed oil
METHOD
Step 1
To make gravy, melt half the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Add stock and bring to the boil. Turn off heat and set aside for 30 minutes to develop the flavours. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a jug. Set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Place pumpkin, potatoes and onion in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with thyme and season. Toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the vegetables over and add carrots. Roast for a further 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Transfer to a baking tray. 3 Meanwhile, to make the Yorkshire puddings, sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add milk and eggs and whisk until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
Step 3
Increase the oven temperature to 230C/210C fan forced. Place 1 tbs grapeseed oil into each hole of six 100ml muffin pans. Place the muffin pan on a tray. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the oil is hot. Remove from oven and evenly pour Yorkshire batter among pans until batter is about 1cm from the top of the pan. Place muffin pan on tray on the top shelf of the oven and place roast vegetables on the shelf underneath. Bake for 20 minutes or until puddings are puffed and golden.
Step 4
To finish the gravy, add sherry or muscat to the roasting pan and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook, scraping the base to remove any bits, for 2-3 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1 tbs. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter and stir until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until foaming. Gradually stir in reserved mushroom stock until well combined. Bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly for 10 minutes or until gravy has thickened. Stir in Vegemite.
Step 5
Divide the roasted vegetables and Yorkshire puddings among serving plates. Top with the baby peas and drizzle with the gravy. Scatter with parsley and season. Serve with English mustard and horseradish cream.