Tempeh à la Moutarde en Cocotte

Blend the raw cashews with 120ml of water on high speed until completely smooth with no graininess; set aside. Finely dice the onion, thinly slice the garlic, and cut the tempeh into 2cm slabs. In a wide bowl, rub the tempeh slabs with 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mustard, the smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper.

Cover the coated tempeh and allow it to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-lidded cocotte over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Sear the tempeh slabs in a single layer, undisturbed, for 4–5 minutes per side until deep golden-brown with a visible crust, then transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the onion with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent with lightly golden edges.

Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and cook for 3–4 minutes, scraping up all browned bits from the base of the pot, until the wine has reduced by two-thirds and the sharp alcohol smell has dissipated.

Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and the wholegrain mustard into the hot stock, then pour it into the pot. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer.

Return the seared tempeh to the pot, nestling the slabs into the sauce. Cover with the lid and braise on low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly and the tempeh is fully tender throughout.

Remove the lid, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and stir in the cashew cream. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon — do not boil at this stage or the sauce may split.

Discard the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprig, and bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt. Scatter with chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve directly from the cocotte with crusty bread, steamed rice, or buttered egg-free tagliatelle.