This is a fabulous centre piece dish, perfect for slicing at the table (and a personal favourite for left overs sandwiches). This very easy recipe can be prepared in advance, and it will keep well in the fridge for three or four days and freezes well.
8 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
2 celery sticks, diced into 5 mm/¼-inch pieces
2 brown onions, diced
350 g/12 oz. dried vegan sausage mix (such as SosMix or Granovita)
2 medium or 1 large apple, preferably Bramley or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced into 2-cm/¾-inch pieces
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 slices seeded brown bread
4 heaped tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
½ large orange, cut into 5 mm/¼ inch-thick semi-circle slices
Large handful of fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon salt
Large handful of fresh cranberries
8 or 9 small sprigs of rosemary
Savarin mould or flan or tart pan approximately 25–30 cm/ 10–12 inches diameter, greased with vegan margarine or oil
Serves 6–8
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.
Put a large frying pan/skillet on a medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of the olive oil. Add the celery and onions and sauté for 20–30 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, put the dried sausage mixture in a large bowl and add boiling water according to packet instructions. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Set aside for 10–15 minutes.
Put the apples into a bowl with the lemon juice and toss to mix.
Blitz the bread slices in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs. Put in a large bowl with the parsley, apple pieces (and lemon juice) and the sausage mixture. Using your hands, combine well.
Lay the orange slices around the sides of the greased savarin mould, then fill with the stuffing mixture. Alternatively, if using a flan or tart pan, lay the mixture in the pan in a large, thick circle to make a wreath shape. Use your hands to shape the mixture, making a large doughnut shape with a large hole in the middle. The wreath should be approx. 7.5–10 cm/ 3–4 inches in height (if shaping by hand). If preparing in advance, this is the stage at which to cover and refrigerate or freeze the dish.
If not using a savarin mould, place the remaining orange halves face-down in the middle of the sausage wreath to stop the hole closing up. Place the other slices around the outside edge.
Cover with foil (whether using a mould or shaping by hand) and put the wreath in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 10–15 minutes until firm to touch.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining olive oil into a small frying pan/skillet and put over a high heat. Add the sage leaves and salt, and fry quickly for a few minutes.
Remove the wreath from the oven. If using a savarin mould, carefully turn out onto a serving platter. Pour over the sage and olive oil, covering the sausage mixture well. Garnish the top with the cranberries, securing in place with cocktail sticks/toothpicks if needed. Garnish the centre with the sprigs of rosemary. Cover with foil to keep warm before serving.
This recipe is from Vegan Christmas Feasts by Jackie Kearney. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.