Jack Monroe’s Nut Roast (6)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Peel and finely slice the onions, then toss them into a wide non-stick pan. Add the oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook on a very low heat on the smallest hob ring for 10 minutes to soften without browning. When gently cooked, remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Finely chop the nuts and chestnuts – this is easily achieved in a small bullet blender, jug blender or food processor if you have them, but if you don’t, pop them into a sturdy freezer bag and grind with a rolling pin against the work surface. Tip the crushed nuts into the mixing bowl and add the stuffing.
  3. Drain the mandarins, reserving the juice in a measuring jug, and tip them into the mix. Mash with a fork and fold them in. Finely chop the apricots and add those, too.
  4. Add boiling water to the mandarin juice to make it up to 220ml. Pour it into the mixing bowl and stir well. Leave to stand for 15 minutes for the stuffing to swell as it absorbs the liquid.
  5. Lightly grease a 900g loaf tin and scrape the mixture into it, pressing down firmly into the corners to really pack it in. Leave a clear inch from the top of the tin as the roast may rise as it cooks.
  6. Place in the centre of the oven at 180C/gas mark 4 and bake for 50 minutes, until the edges are crisp. Leave to stand for 10 minutes to firm up. Serve warm or cold.