Equipment
Ingredients
Porcini and Nut Patties
- 25 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 150 ml boiling water
- 100 g macadamia nuts, raw or lightly toasted
- 150 g cooked chestnuts, peeled
- 240 g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Wilted Kale
- 250 g lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 549 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 23 mg
- Potassium
- 637 mg
- Calcium
- 163 mg
- Iron
- 3.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 82 mg
- Phosphorus
- 169 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 87 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 37 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 127 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.31 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.23 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 78 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let them soak for 20 minutes until thoroughly softened.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the rehydrated porcini mushrooms from the soaking liquid, squeezing out excess moisture. Finely chop the mushrooms. Reserve the soaking liquid for future stocks or gravies.
Place the macadamia nuts and cooked chestnuts into a food processor. Pulse several times until coarsely ground, taking care not to process them into a paste.
Heat 15ml of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped porcini mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
In a large mixing bowl, use a potato masher to roughly crush the drained cannellini beans. You want a mix of mashed paste and whole bean pieces for texture.
Add the nut and chestnut mixture, the sautéed onion and mushroom mixture, lightly beaten egg, panko breadcrumbs, fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper to the mashed beans. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Using your hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Firmly press and shape each portion into a round patty, about 2.5 centimeters thick.
Transfer the patties to the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C/400°F for 25 minutes, carefully flipping them halfway through, until a golden crust forms on the outside.
During the final 5 minutes of baking time, wipe the frying pan clean and heat the remaining 15ml of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped kale and 2g salt. Sauté briefly until the kale collapses and turns bright green.
Divide the wilted kale evenly among 4 warm serving plates, creating a bed on each. Place two warm patties gently on top of the kale and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Never discard your porcini soaking liquid. It is liquid gold. Strain it through a coffee filter to remove grit and freeze it in ice cube trays for future risottos or gravies.
- For the best texture, avoid turning the macadamia nuts and chestnuts into a paste. Pulse them just until they look like coarse breadcrumbs; this provides a wonderful bite to the finished patty.
- Resting the shaped patties in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking allows the breadcrumbs to hydrate fully and helps the starches set, resulting in a patty that holds together beautifully.
- If you want to elevate this dish for a special occasion, serve it with a red wine reduction or a drizzle of high-quality truffle oil over the wilted kale.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store patties and kale in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze patties uncooked between layers of parchment paper. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Reheating: Reheat baked patties in a 180C/350F oven for 10-12 minutes to restore the crust.
Troubleshooting
Patties crumble and fall apart while shaping
Cause: The cannellini beans were not mashed enough to release their starches, or the mixture lacks moisture.
Fix: Return the mixture to the bowl and mash aggressively. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved porcini soaking liquid to add moisture.
Prevention: Ensure at least half of the beans are thoroughly mashed to act as a binder before adding the dry ingredients.
Patties are too wet and lose their shape on the baking tray
Cause: The porcini mushrooms were not squeezed dry, or the egg was exceptionally large.
Fix: Stir in an additional 15-20g of panko breadcrumbs and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to absorb excess moisture.
Prevention: Thoroughly squeeze excess moisture out of rehydrated ingredients before adding them to the bowl.
Cultural Context
The nut roast holds a storied position in British culinary history, traditionally serving as the vegetarian centerpiece during Sunday carveries and festive holiday meals. This recipe modernizes that concept by transforming the heavy loaf into elegant individual patties. The inclusion of Australian macadamia nuts adds a luxurious buttery quality, while Italian porcini mushrooms provide a deep, savory umami note that more than compensates for the absence of meat.
