Shepherd's pie with mushrooms, lentils and blackeye beans

We bring you the popular English shepherd's pie recipe in a vegetarian version full of flavor and energy, just as this recipe should be. The traditional shepherd's pie is a typical British cooking dish, the easiest and most succulent and that takes advantage of the cooked meat that has been left over from the holidays, and which is crowned with a layer of gratin mashed potato.

We make this vegetarian shepherd's pie with mushrooms, lentils and beans , without missing the potato and cheese topping, which combines wonderfully with its base.

We highly encourage you to try it, it is a succulent and most comforting recipe for the winter months.

Signature Le Creuset Cocotte and Le Creuset Tureens

Ingredients

For the filling

• 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into small dice
• 2 leeks, washed and chopped
• 500 g of mixed mushrooms (mushrooms, shitake, trumpets of death...)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 rosemary sprig, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
• 125 ml of red wine
• 500 ml of vegetable broth
• 400 g canned chopped tomato
• ½ cup lentils, rinsed and drained
• 400 g blackeye beans, drained

For the potato coating

• 500 g potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 40 g salted butter
• 125ml whole milk, warmed
• ½ cup grated Gruyère cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to season
• Parsley and chives, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Drop the tablespoons of oil into the Le Creuset 24cm cocotte (you can also use a nonstick saucepan, you need a cooking surface with some height, like the Le Creuset saucepan with lid ).
2. Add the chopped onion and leeks and sauté over medium heat until softened (6-8 minutes).
3. Increase the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms is reduced and the mushrooms and other mushrooms begin to brown.
4. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the carrots, celery, thyme, and rosemary. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Let it cook for several minutes to soften, then add the tomato paste.
6. Add the wine and let it reduce by half, and once it is done add the broth, the chopped tomatoes and the lentils.
7. Partially cover with the broth and let it simmer for approximately 40-45 minutes. Add the beans and parsley and stir.
8. Let's go with the potato topping: in a separate pot, boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender.
9. Once you have the potatoes cooked, drain well and pass them through the food mill (the manual food mill is the fastest and most practical to use). The puree, which falls into a bowl, in which you will also add the butter, milk and cheese. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well to homogenize.
10. When you have the filling for the Le Creuset cocotte ready and the potato topping ready, divide the filling between six Le Creuset tureens . Pour the filling first and apply the mashed potato and cheese on top to cover with the potato coating.
11. To finish, gratin in the preheated oven at 200 °C until it bubbles and acquires a golden hue (approx. 30 minutes). Crown with chopped chives to decorate.

Grades:

• You can make the filling with mushrooms only if you prefer or if you only have them.
• You can make the mashed potato without cheese, or using a less intense cheese. You can also make a truffled mashed potato, applying truffled salt or adding a dash of truffled oil from our pantry section . They are ingredients of intense flavor, with very little you will give it a fabulous aroma and the truffled puree with the mushroom base will marry perfectly.
• The presentation in Le Creuset tureens is divine. As an alternative, you can also use the mini-cocottes, although they will not have as much capacity or height (use them without a lid and the puree protrudes slightly).