There's something so wonderful about old standbys. Things we ate as children, things we know so well, and things that are so simple to go back to. Comfort foods.
I grew up with one British parent and one Chinese one in the middle of suburban Canada. We ate a lot of things from each culture (we ate a lot of things in general!) but I remember shepherd's pie being around a lot. And for my dad, the recipe was a matter of strict discipline - lamb, obviously, was the meat used in shepherd's pie. Or else it was just cottage pie.
I became a vegetarian when I was 14, so that spelled the end of my shepherd's pie eating days. But somewhere during my time at university, it made a comeback. A big one. I think I made it every week for a while. With lentils.
This is my go-to standby shepherd's pie: a tomato and Bragg's-rich gravy with lentils and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, peas, cheese, and mustard. But I made one small addition: I mashed some chunks of cauliflower into my mash this time around, which gave it the most wonderfully virtuous lightness. Delicious.
*****
Lentil Shepherd's Pie
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed.
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot or 1/2 cup swede, diced
1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp. nice ketchup
2 tsp. Bragg's
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper
olive oil
1. Bring your lentils to a boil in 2 cups of water and turn down to low heat to simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. In a heavy ovenproof skillet, fry your onions, garlic, carrots, and herbs until translucent and fragrant. Stir in your tomatoes, ketchup, and Bragg's and continue to cook for a minute or so. Pour over your vegetable stock, season, and bring to a simmer. 2. Meanwhile, check your lentils and, once they're done, drain them. Stir the lentils into your sauce and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning once more, and at this point stir in your peas. The sauce should be thick, not to runny, and should be densely populated with lentils and veg. Set aside.
Potato topping:
4 medium floury potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. English mustard
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup peas
salt and pepper
1. Bring your potatoes to a boil in a large pot of water. Cook until almost tender, then add in your cauliflower. Once both are cooked through, drain. 2. Mash with your cheese, mustard, butter, and milk, seasoning to taste. Once you have a smooth consistency, stir in your frozen peas (these will cook under the grill).
Assembly and Baking:
1. Top your lentil mixture with an inch or two of the potato mash. You can leave it in whatever shape it falls or you can shape peaks with your fork, whatever you like. Dot the top with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in a hot oven at 400 degrees F (200 C) for 30-40 minutes, or until hot inside and the potato is crisp and golden on top.
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