Name: Chestnut and mushroom gravy with date molasses
Ingredients: 2 onions (320g), peeled, cut in quarters; 250g chestnut mushrooms; 180g shop-bought cooked chestnuts; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 20g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 300ml hot water for at least 30 minutes; 120ml olive oil; 5g thyme sprigs; 1 tbsp plain flour; 500ml vegetable stock; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp date molasses

New

Dips and dressings Christmas

Serves 6-8

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

This gravy makes everything special. Mushrooms, chestnuts, and a touch of date molasses turn it into a glossy, meaty-without-the-meat sauce. A quick blitz in the food processor speeds up the prep, and you can make it ahead if you like - it tastes better the next day. Spoon it over roasted vegetables, mash, or anything that could do with a little extra richness - pie, for example.

Ingredients

2	onions (320g), peeled, cut in quarters
250g	chestnut mushrooms
180g	shop-bought cooked chestnuts
3	garlic cloves, crushed
20g	dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 300ml hot water for at least 30 minutes
120ml	olive oil
5g	thyme sprigs
1 tbsp	plain flour
500ml	vegetable stock
2 tbsp	soy sauce
2 tsp	date molasses

Method

Place the onions in the large bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times until roughly chopped and put in a bowl. Pulse the chestnut mushrooms 2-3 times until very roughly chopped and add to the bowl. Roughly crumble in the chestnuts and add in the garlic. Drain the porcini through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid for later, and add them to the bowl.
Put a large saute pan on medium high heat with the oil and thyme. Once the thyme starts to sizzle, tip in the contents of the bowl, stir and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until nicely browned.
Take the pan off the heat, carefully pick out and discard the thyme stems, then return the pan to the heat, adding in the flour. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the stock, sieved mushroom stock, soy sauce and molasses.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 7- 9 minutes, until thickened to your liking.
Serve hot.