Vegan Hearts of Palm and Seaweed Gratin

Drain and slice the hearts of palm into 1cm rounds. Rehydrate the wakame in cold water for 10 minutes, drain, and roughly chop. Tear the nori sheets into small pieces. Finely dice the shallot and mince the garlic.

Cover the cashews with cold water in a bowl and leave to soak for 4 hours, then drain.

Combine the drained cashews, 200ml of the oat milk, and the torn nori in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth, then set aside.

Warm the remaining 600ml oat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling, then remove from the heat.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.

Add the flour to the pan and stir continuously for 2 minutes to form a paste and cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the warm oat milk to the roux in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, then cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, whisking, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cashew-nori cream, miso paste, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper until fully incorporated.

Fold the sliced hearts of palm and chopped wakame into the béchamel until evenly coated, then transfer the mixture into a 28cm gratin dish, spreading it level.

Combine the panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl and toss until evenly coated. Spread the crumb mixture in an even layer over the surface of the gratin.

Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C, or 180°C for a fan oven, or gas mark 6 for 25–30 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are bubbling vigorously.

Rest the gratin for 5 minutes out of the oven, then scatter with fresh parsley and serve directly from the dish.