Aboriginal flag nut roast

On the last day of NAIDOC Week I had decided to make a nut roast with an Aboriginal flag design.  I knew it would not be quick.  It took me about 3 hours to make it from starting to caramelise the onions until the loaf went into the oven to start baking.  

Most distracting was the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in the USA .  It happened just minutes before I started my cooking.  I was watching Insiders on the ABC and then watched the ABC news channel.  I felt sorry for the Indigenous reporters who suddenly lacked time to talk about NAIDOC week on our Australian news programs.  This goes some way to explaining why I might have taken so long.  But I can't just blame politics.  Making the nut roast also took quite a bit of time because I was making it up as I went along.  I was very happy with the final nut roast, albeit not the American politics. 

 

I had been planning this nut roast for a day or two.  I gathered inspiration from previous recipes I had made: Festive nut roast with tomato and herb layers, Mushroom gravy, Vegan nut roast, and Vegan tofu besan omelet.  The original idea came from an attempt at an Aboriginal flag with mushrooms gravy, tomato sauce and damper back in 2007.  The photo was not great but the idea was good.  I thought about revisiting it.  Then I riffed on the idea and came up with a nut roast using some of the elements from 2007.

Generally the recipes on this site are iterative rather than rigourously tested.  In my kitchen my recipes often evolve from previous experience and this one is no different.  I have made many nut roasts previously as well as gravies and sauces.  I also used the omelet recipe to consider the The challenge is that I need to get my head around how I will adjust what I have done before to suit a new recipe, such as this one.  I would love to try my recipes a few times and sometimes do but, as in this case, do not always have time for it.  The notes I make here help me when I want to tweak it or to develop it into another recipe.  And I hope they might help you if you are interested in the recipe.  Having said that, my recipes are always open to your own tweaking, depending on your preferences and what you have on hand.

The day before I made the nut roast I went for a long bike ride.  It was what I needed for ideas.  I had decided to have an omelet involved.  This idea morphed into playing with the idea of an Aboriginal flag on toast which I have previously posted.  I stopped at Manna Fresh groceries in Brunswick looking for silken tofu for an omelet and ideas for the recipe.  I was delighted to find a beetroot concentrated juice and activated charcoal, as well as some nice muffins. The black beans were also used for the flag on toast.  Sylvia had brought them for me when she was at the Mediterranean Wholesalers because our favourite tinned legumes have got so ridiculously expensive at the supermarket.

The recipe had quite a bit of preparation I would have liked to do the night before, if only I had had the energy.  I could have fried onions, ground nuts and made breadcrumbs out of ends of bread loaves in the freezer.  I love nut roasts because they are a great way of using up bits and pieces of food around the house.

The mushroom gravy was not perfect but it was pretty good.  I piled on the flavours of onion, mushroom, wattleseed, saltbush, and Vegemite.  I also added quite a bit of flour because the last time I made the gravy it seemed a bit thin.  The recipe for the nut roast below is mostly what I did but I have changed the mushroom gravy slightly to be 2 tbsp less flour, halved the wattleseed and to add some lemon juice.  I hope this would improve it by making it slightly softer and also make the flavours brighter.

It was in the gravy that I particularly experimented with Australian flavours.  Perhaps this is why I would tweak it if I made it again.  It is a while since I used wattleseed and this was my first time using saltbush.  I have read that saltbush can be substituted for salt but it smells more like herby leaves than salt to me.  I would like to try it in some bread baking at some stage and get a better sense of it.  

The big success was the charcoal which made the gravy so black at the end.  The only trade off is that activated charcoal can taste a bit gritty, as was the case in this recipe.  But it is worth a wee bit of grit for some impressive colour.  if you don't have activated charcoal then you can leave it out.

While the mushroom gravy was quite an experiment, with the tomato sauce I was on firmer ground.  I made these plain tomato sauces frequently for various recipes.  The main change I made was to add beetroot juice concentrate.  I was impressed at how red the sauce was.  No doubt the colour was enhanced by the beetroot juice concentrate.  It was a little bottle (70ml) that was intended to be drunk all at once like a shot of nutrients.  I didn't use it all and really enjoyed having a mouthful of it here and there over a few days as well as adding it to the sauce.  Of course it is optional and the tomato sauce works pretty well as I know not everyone has beetroot juice concentrate.

The resulting tomato layer was lovely.  When Sylvia tasted it she commented on its sweetness, which I really liked.  It was a good contrast to the darker flavours of the mushroom layer.  It was noticeably softer than the mushroom layer because it seemed a bit under cooked in the middle.  The extra moistness and softness probably made it cook slower than the thicker mushroom layer.  I have wondered if I should have seasoned it more or added another spoonful or two of flour but I think I would keep it the same next time but try and bake the loaf slightly longer.

In some ways the biggest challenge was the yellow filling but it was also easier because it did not involve cooking.  I just had to adjust the ingredients I added for the right texture and taste.  I was really happy I still had saffron that a friend had brought me back from Iran (thanks Eliza).  It made the sun in the flag beautifully bright.  However I know that not everyone has saffron as it can be so expensive in Australia.  Turmeric would do just as well as saffron if that is easier to find in your kitchen.

It was a great achievement to reach the point where I had the three nut nut roast mixtures in separate bowls.  Didn't they look beautiful.  I have played with bottle food dyes but am always happy if I can use foods to make the colours in a recipe rather than dyes.  

The colours cooked up pretty well.  The main disappointment was the red fading slightly.  I have always found that beetroot in baking is never as bright in the finished baked produce as the batter that goes into the oven.  However I think we can say it was close enough for jazz!  

I think these mixtures might work quite well, for those who prefer a meatloaf to the nut roast, if you cooked mince meat in them rather than the nuts.  As a vegetarian, I can't give guidance on cooking the meat but I am happy to be inclusive if that is your thing.  I also really liked that the nut roast was vegan so if the loaf was slightly under-cooked, as with mine, then there was no danger of eating raw foods you shouldn't be eating, such as meat or egg.  I also preferred a vegan nut roast because we were going through a period of not being able to buy our usual cartons of eggs due to the bird flu outbreak in Victoria.

I was pleased when my loaf came out of the oven.  The round yellow sun in the middle was well placed and quite a stiff mixture so it would hold its shape.  Getting the texture right is important to get the right look.  The black and red layers need to be softer so they easily nestle in against the sun but not too soft because the black needs to sit on the red and not "bleed" into it.  Ideally I would like the black and red layers to be of similar texture.  In this case the black was much firmer than the red, which made it taste more stodgy and less easy to spread.  And as I have said, I would tweak the black mushroom gravy mixture next time and have made some changes to the way I wrote the recipe below to take this into account.

The time that the loaf cools before cutting is also important to make sure the Aboriginal flag is clear in the slices.  I started to slice the ends about 2 hours after it came out of the oven.  It worked ok but was better when it was cooler and I think might have cut less clearly in the centre.  Ideally I would suggest slicing the loaf after it has cooled for about 3 to 4 hours or more. 

I often make a nut roast for a roast dinner with roast vegies and gravy and greens.  I didn't do this for this nut roast.  I had decided to make it within NAIDOC week, as my contribution to celebrating Indigenous culture.  The Aboriginal flag is so beautifully simple and easy to represent in cooking.  It is also such a great representation of the culture with the land (red), the people (black) and sun (yellow) existing together. 

Slices of nut roast are great with salads, or mashed potato or in a sandwich.  It also adds a beautiful pop of colour when chopped and scattered into many meals.  I have some photos above of how I used the leftovers.  They are so versatile and yummy!  From the top clockwise:

1. Chilli non carne with nutroast chunks, served with quinoa, lettuce, guacamole and plain yoghurt.
2. Pizza topped with tomato sauce, chopped nut roast, red capsicum, green olives, pineapple and cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
3 Spinach and ricotta ravioli mixed with diced nut roast, cooked brussels sprouts, green peas, cream cheese, grated cheese and parsley.
4. Ryebread toast spread with cream cheese and grated red leicester , then a lick of tomato relish, a slice of nut roast, and some grated mozzarella cheese.

I highly recommend this Aboriginal flag nut roast if you are entertaining in NAIDOC Week or any week of the year.  It is sure to impress your guests and will make a fine contribution to many meals or pot lucks.  Just make sure you have plenty of time.  Now let's hope that American politics don't blow up next NAIDOC Week so we can have more time in the media and conversations to celebrate Australian Indigenous people.  Though I am late to post for NAIDOC Week, I will be delighted if this nut roast will contribute to celebrating the culture and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Previous posts for NAIDOC Week on Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:
Aboriginal flag cake for NAIDOC Week
Aboriginal Street Art in Melbourne (2) for NAIDOC Week
Aboriginal Street Art in Melbourne (3) for NAIDOC Week
Aboriginal Street Art in Melbourne (4) for NAIDOC Week
Aboriginal Street Art in Melbourne (5) for NAIDOC Week
Porridgies, children's books, racism and recognition

Aboriginal flag nut roast
An original recipe by Green Gourmet Giraffe
Makes 1 medium loaf

Caramelised onions:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped

Mushroom charcoal gravy:

2 tbsp vegan butter (I used Nuttalex), or olive oil
1 cup caramelised onions (see above)
1 cup of 180g or 8 brown cap mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground wattleseed
1/2 tsp dried saltbush flakes
4 tbsp wholemeal flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp stock powder
1 tbsp Vegemite
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of activated charcoal powder
1/4 salt, or to taste

Mushroom charcoal layer:

1 1/2 cup mushroom charcoal gravy (see above)
1 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup ground nuts

Tomato sauce:

1/2 caramelised onion (see above)
2 tbsp flour
1 cup tomato passata
2 tbsp beetroot juice concentrate
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt

Tomato layer:

1 1/4 cup tomato sauce (see above)
1 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup ground nuts

Yellow stuffing:

1/4 tsp saffron
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup ground nuts
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt

[NOTES on amounts:
total of 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs and
total of 2 heaped cups (270g) of mixed whole nuts, ground - I used cashew, almonds, walnuts]

1. To caramelise the onions:

Fry the onions in olive oil over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  They should be caramelised with just a little char.  Divide into two and allocate one half to the mushroom layer and one half to the tomato layer.

2. To make the Mushroom charcoal layer:

Firstly make the mushroom charcoal gravy.  Heat the butter or olive oil in frypan and add mushrooms and caramelised onions.  Fry, stirring occasionally, over a low heat until mushrooms are cooked with some golden brown with slightly charred edges on them.  [While mushrooms fry, measure out 1/2 cup wateer.  [Place Vegemite in a small bowl.  Gradually add the half cup of water, a little at a time so the Vegemite is mixed in.]  Add garlic, pepper, wattleseed, saltbush flakes and flour to the frypan when the mushrooms are ready.  Fry for a few minutes until the floured has browned slightly and smells cooked.  Mix in stock powder and then gradually add 1 1/2 cups of water plus the 1/2 cup water with Vegemite, mixing continually (so that you smooth out any lumps after each addition of water).  Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly as it thickens.  Stir in the charcoal.  Check seasoning and adjust by stirring in 1/4 tsp of salt, or to taste.

Then make the gravy into nut roast mixture, place 1 1/2 cups of gravy in a small mixing bowl.  Stir in the breadcrumbs and ground nuts until well combined into a thick mixture.  Check seasoning and adjust if required.

3. To make the Tomato layer:
[4a. Note: before making this, start on the yellow stuffing by soaking saffron in water - see below]

First make the tomato sauce: Heat small saucepan over low heat and stir flour into half of the caramelised onions for about a minute.  Add passata, beetroot concentrate, vinegar, maple syrup and salt.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.  It should make about 1 1/4 cups of sauce.

Next stir in the breadcrumbs and ground nuts until well combined into a thick mixture.  Check seasoning and adjust if required.

4b To make the yellow stuffing:

First soak the saffron in the water for about 20 to 30 minutes.  [This could be done before you start on the tomato sauce, as suggested above]   Squeeze the water out of the saffron strands and discard them.

Mix saffron water with remaining ingredients until you have a stiff mixture.

5. To assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 180 C.  Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper.  

Spoon all of the tomato layer into the bottom.  Roll the stuffing into a cylinder the length of the loaf tin.  Use the back of a spoon to level the tomato layer and then make a trough in the tomato layer approximately half the size of the stuffing cylinder.  Now press the stuffing cylinder into the tomato layer.  Spoon the mushroom charcoal layer on top - making sure you distribute it fairly evenly when you spoon it on so as not to disturb the stuffing shape any more than you need.  Use the back of the spoon to smooth the top.  

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until it is cooked on top and pulling away from the sides.  Cool (at least 3-4 hours) before cutting to get slices that retain the Aboriginal flag design.

NOTE: I baked mine for 30 minutes and when I turned it out, I could see the the tomato layer on the bottom was still a bit soft in the middle.  If I had not been in a hurry I might have placed it on a tray, tomato size up to bake longer.  However my oven bakes slowly so other ovens might bake it quicker.

On the Stereo:
Winchelsea Blues: Fidel Monk