Mushroom and Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Method

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   ⏱ 20 min

   Put the potatoes in cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain and let them steam dry in the colander for a few minutes — wet potato makes gluey mash.

2. 2

   Mash

   Mash the potatoes with the vegan butter and plant milk until smooth. Season hard — under-seasoned mash will flatten the whole dish. Set aside.

3. 3

   Build the base

   ⏱ 15 min

   Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt until soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they've released their water and it has boiled away.

4. 4

   Deepen it

   ⏱ 2 min

   Stir in the garlic, thyme and tomato purée and cook for two minutes until the purée darkens. Add the lentils, soy sauce and stock. Bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Simmer the lentils

   ⏱ 30 min

   Cook uncovered until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick — a spoon dragged through should leave a channel. Stir in the peas and the cornflour slurry, then cook for another minute.

6. 6

   Assemble and bake

   ⏱ 30 min

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Tip the filling into a baking dish, spoon the mash over and rough up the surface with a fork — those ridges are what go crisp. Bake until deeply browned on top.

7. 7

   Rest

   ⏱ 10 min

   Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving or it will collapse onto the plate.