VEGAN GRAVY RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and porcini. 2. Place in a large pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil and all the herbs. Fry for 25 minutes, or until turning golden, stirring occasionally. 3. Add the port and jam, and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until sticky and caramelised. 4. Stir in the flour, then the Marmite, tomato purée and red wine vinegar. 5. Pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for around 10 minutes, or until thickened and reduced to the consistency of your liking. 6. Pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, using the back of a spoon to push through all that lovely flavour. 7. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day. 8. On the day, if frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your nut roast goes into the oven, then simply heat through in a pan ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the portobello mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery and garlic into a roasting tin, toss in the sunflower oil, then spread out into a single layer. Roast for 40 mins, undisturbed – the veg should be very slightly charred.
• Drizzle over the agave, vinegar, tomato purée, soy and 2 tbsp water. Toss together until completely coated, then return to the oven for 5 mins until sticky and caramelised. Stir in the flour and dried mushrooms, and return to the oven for a final 10 mins.
• If the tin is flameproof, put on the hob over a low heat, stir in the port and cook until you have a thick paste mixed in with all the ingredients. Pour over two-thirds of the stock, add the herbs, bring to a boil and cook for 10 mins. If the tin isn’t flameproof, drizzle over the port, stir to loosen all the burnt bits, then tip everything into a pan and continue with the stock and herbs.
• Turn off the heat and mash everything with a potato masher to extract as much flavour as possible. Carefully pass the contents through a sieve set over another saucepan, pushing down to release all the liquid. Add the rest of the stock and simmer until the gravy is thickened and rich. Leave to cool. To serve, simply reheat. Will keep, chilled and covered for up to three days or frozen for up to two months.