Vegetarian Sunday roast recipe

This vegetarian roast alternative from Food for Friends is traditionally served on a Sunday with all the roast trimmings and gravy

"We normally serve these on Sundays with all the roast trimmings and gravy. However you could also serve them with a potato gratin and steamed seasonal vegetables."

Makes 12 escalopes

Ingredients

500g puy lentils
250g chestnuts, peeled
½ bunch of spring onions
1 small bunch of parsley
½ bunch of celery
300g vegetarian blue cheese (such as dolcelatte)
2 large eggs, beaten
325g breadcrumbs
200g vegetarian pecorino or other hard cheese, grated
3 eggs
4 tbsp flour
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Put the lentils into a large pan of cold water and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for about 1 hour or until they are soft but not mushy. Drain them and refresh under running water.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Dice the chestnuts, finely chop the spring onions, parsley and celery and place them in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils and crumble in the blue cheese. Then add the beaten eggs, 200g of the breadcrumbs and the grated pecorino.
Using your hands, mix together for a good 10 minutes, by which time you should have a solid paste with which to make the escalopes. Because the cheeses are salty you shouldn’t need to add salt but at this point taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Break the 3 eggs into a bowl and whisk them. Put the flour in another and the remaining breadcrumbs in a third, and have a baking sheet ready for the finished escalopes. Form the escalopes by making a ball of lentil mixture about the size of a lime in your hands, and then flatten it out so it is about 1.5cm thick. Dust it in the flour bowl (shake off the excess), then dip it in the egg wash and then in the breadcrumbs; don’t forget to do both sides. Put it to one side and repeat until all are done.
Use a frying pan with a little vegetable oil, and fry each one very quickly on both sides for 30 seconds. Put them on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes or until crisp and cooked through.

Recipe from Food for Friends: Modern vegetarian cooking at home by Jane and Ramin Mostowfi with Kalil Resende. Published by Infinite Ideas

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Average rating: 3.5/5

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