Mushroom and chestnut ragout

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 handful of dried porcini mushrooms, approx. 10 g
• 12 sage leaves
• 2 carrots
• ½ celeriac
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml red wine
• 1 ½ liters vegetable broth
• 1 small onion(s)
• 400 g mixed mushrooms, e.g. button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, portobello mushrooms
• 1 tbsp oil
• 150 g chestnut(s), peeled, alternatively 100 g roasted pine nuts
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 tsp cornstarch, if needed

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

vegan holiday main course

Finely grind the spices, lightly crumbled porcini mushrooms, and coarsely chopped sage in a food processor. Peel and roughly dice the carrots, celery, and onion. Roast the vegetables in oil until lightly browned, stir in the tomato paste and spice mix, and continue to roast briefly. Deglaze with red wine. Reduce over high heat until syrupy. Top up with vegetable stock and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes. Strain the sauce, gently pressing the soft vegetables through (it doesn’t need to be completely pressed through; it’s just to thicken them a little). Add salt if necessary (depending on the salt content of the vegetable stock). This sauce can be prepared well in advance. It will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator or longer frozen. Finely chop the onion, trim the mushrooms, and cut them into large pieces. Roast the onion and mushrooms in oil in a large casserole dish. Lightly salt. Continue roasting until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the prepared sauce and the chestnuts (or pine nuts). Heat through. If the ragout is too thin, thicken with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving. Goes well with all types of dumplings. Franconian potato dumplings are vegan!