Do you draw distinct lines between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie? To be honest, I use them interchangeably. Technically, shepherd’s pie should only be known as such if it has lamb, and cottage pie if it has beef. So what would you call the vegetarian version? I’m going to go with Vegetarian Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie. (Or I could go with a sherpherdless pie?)
Don’t be scared by my call for soy granules. You can find soy granules or soya mince at pretty much every supermarket in England. For example, my not-so-massive Morrisons stocks it. Also don’t be alarmed by what it looks like – yes it looks like hamster food but it will taste amazing!
If you find that your vegetables and soy are a bit too dry, keep on whacking in more red wine and Worcestershire sauce.
Vegetarian Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
1 kg button mushrooms
1 carrot, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 kg of potatoes
1 tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup of milk
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
100 g soy granules
1 tablespoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of oregano
2 eggs
1teaspoon of paprika
1 and 1/2 cups of red wine
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Peel your potatoes and put them in a large pot filled with water. Boil them until they’re tender. Mash them with your butter and milk and and let them cool for a while.
Chop the mushrooms, carrot and red bell pepper. Chop them as finely as possible, and mix them all together. Then heat your oil in a large skillet. Add your mushroom mixture plus your diced onions, garlic, soy granules, eggs, wine, mustard and Worcestershire and spices. Sauté for 10 minutes.
Place the vegetable mixture in your casserole dish and spread it with a spatula. Then top with your mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the top with cheese, if desired.
Heat your oven at 200 C. Cook your casserole for 40 minutes. Don’t serve it immediately. Let it cool for at least half an hour.
