Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe aka Shepherdess Pie
A shepherdess pie is a vegetarian shepherd's pie, mine uses red lentils and sweet anise-flavoured fennel under the perfect mashed potato topping and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
1tablespoonOlive Oil(the oil form the tomatoes is the best)
250mlRed Wine1 Cup
1tablespoonTomato Puree
250mlVegetable Stock1 Cup
150gFrozen Peas1 Cup
1Bay Leaf
400gPotatoes
75gButter¼ Cup + 1 tablespoon
25gPecorino Cheese¼ Cup
1teaspoonSalt
½teaspoonBlack Pepper
Instructions
Cut the onion in half and then cut it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
Cut the onion and celery into a dice the same size as the onion.
Heat the oil in a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium heat. When it's hot, add the diced vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Peel and mash the garlic cloves.
Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into strips as finely as you can.
Cut the fennel into 1cm (½") cubes.
Add the fennel, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato puree to the pan and then stir well.
Turn the heat up as high as it will go, and pour in the red wine and add half of the salt and the black pepper before cooking for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaf, vegetable stock, and lentils, then simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whilst the lentils are cooking, bring a large 24cm or 10" saucepan of water to a rapid boil.
Peel and cut the potatoes into a 5cm-7.5cm (2-3") cubes
Season boiling water with the remaining salt and then throw in the potatoes and boil until tender to the tip of a knife.
Defrost the peas by running them under cold water.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to steam dry for a couple of minutes, then mash them or pass them through a potato ricer and then mix through the butter and set aside.
When the ragu is cooked, stir through the defrosted peas, then separate into two 15 x 10cm (6 x 4") gratin dishes.
Pipe over or spoon over the mashed potato and sprinkle with the pecorino cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200°C or 400°F.