Mini lentil shepherd’s pies Juliet Sear

tarih:

  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil, plus extra for the pie dishes

    Butter

    butt-err

    Butter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…

  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely diced, about 200g

    Carrot

    ka-rot

    The carrot, with its distinctive bright orange colour, is one of the most versatile root…

  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, chopped (blitz these to fairly tiny pieces for small kids)
  • 2 tsp thyme leaves (optional)
  • 250g Puy lentils
  • 100ml red wine (optional)
  • 900ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp Marmite (optional)
  • peas, to serve (optional)

    Peas

    p-ees

    A type of legume, peas grow inside long, plump pods. As is the case with all types of legume,…

For the mashed potato topping

  • 850g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 75g butter

    Butter

    butt-err

    Butter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…

  • 100ml milk (or alternative)

    Milk

    mill-k

    One of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…

  1. To make the filling, heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 15 mins until soft and golden. Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms, then cook for 3-4 mins. Sprinkle in the thyme and add the lentils. Pour over the wine and stock, then simmer gently, uncovered, for about 40-45 mins until the lentils are soft. If you find the mixture is drying out, you can add a splash more stock or water.

  2. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan, pour over boiling water and boil for 15-20 mins until tender. Drain well. You can use a potato ricer at this stage to make them super creamy, or mash with the butter and milk, then season with salt and pepper.

  3. Remove the lentils from the heat, add the tomato purée and Marmite, if using. Stir well and check to see if you need seasoning, then add a good grinding of black pepper.

  4. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To assemble, butter four-six small pie dishes or one a large dish and spoon in the lentil mixture, then top with mash. It’s fun to pipe on the mash if you have a piping bag, but if not, you can spoon it on and fluff into peaks with a fork. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden. Serve with peas on the side, if you like.

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