A delicious alternative to lamb, deeply savoury and cosy in shades of autumnal brown and orange. The perfect weeknight dinner for when it’s raining and cold outside.
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small leek, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- 1 stock cube (1 used beef but you can choose what you like)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 200g quorn mince (such a handy freezer staple, use straight from frozen)
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 200ml red wine
- 300ml boiling water
- 200g peas
- 1 potato, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
- 100ml whole milk
- 100g cheddar cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper
- Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over a low heat
- Add the onion, leek, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 mins until everything is soft and golden
- Add the stock cube, garlic granules, black pepper and tomato puree and stir in
- Cook for a minute, then add the quorn mince and mix in
- Sprinkle over the flour and raise the heat to medium
- Stir and cook for 2 mins until no white shows then pour over the wine
- Stir in until the wine almost disappears, then add the boiling water and stir until combined
- Turn the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 5-10 mins until thickened, glossy and rich
- Check the seasoning and then, off the heat, add the peas and mix through
- While the sauce is cooking, put a small pan of salted water on to boil
- When boiling add the potato, and perch the parsnip and sweet potato on top in a steamer. Cooking them like this stops the mash from being watery but if you don’t have a steamer, just add them to the pan 5 mins after the potato
- Boil and steam for 15 mins
- Drain the potatoes then put them back in the pan with the parsnip and sweet potato
- Add the milk and the other 2 tbsp of butter, then mash until its as smooth as you want (I like a few lumps!)
- Season with salt and plenty of pepper, then stir through the cheese
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan (200C)
- Layer the quorn mixture in the bottom of an oven dish and top with the mash
- Bake for 30 mins until the top is brown and the sauce is bubbling up the sides (leave to stand for 15 mins before eating if you can bear to, to reduce the risk of burning your tongue!)
Serve with steamed savoy cabbage or kale
You can make all of this in advance, up to putting it in the oven. Keep the components in the fridge or freezer, separately or constructed. Just do the oven bit when you’re ready for it
Sophie cooks 