Vegetarian Dutch Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Mix the first 11 ingredients (from the soy crumbles to the cayenne) and blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender until very smooth. Roll into tight balls of about 2 tablespoons each and dust them with flour.

Melt the butter in a large skillet (not nonstick—you want those great little burnt pieces for the gravy) over low heat. When the butter stops bubbling and is hot, brown the meatballs on all sides.

Pour in the broth and put the lid on, leaving a crack open on the side for steam to escape. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. The meatballs will be delicate, so try not to move them around.

Meanwhile, prepare some garlic mashed potatoes or a traditional Dutch stampot. You can find a really great recipe for this on a website called Kayotic Kitchen.

When the meatballs have finished cooking, turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer them carefully to a separate plate. They will be very tender because that’s how soy is, but they will have cooked thoroughly.

Add about 1 to 1/2 cups of water and 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour to the leftover liquid in the skillet. Turn the heat back on low. Stir it, releasing all the burnt bits until it becomes a thick gravy. Pour it all, including the left over burnt crumbles, into a bowl and blitz it with the immersion blender (or whiz it in your food processor). There’s your delicious gravy!

These are fabulous! Just remember to watch the salt. It can easily get out of hand with the soy sauce, and the salt that might be in your broth.