Nothing like a hot pie on a cold day and this pot pie is hearty without the meat and topped with my edit of Colcannon – parsnip, spuds, leek and shredded brussels sprouts.
I like to make the filling ahead so the flavours develop while in the fridge, then all you need to do is make the Colcannon topping and bung it in the oven.
Ingredients
Makes 4 small pies, or 1 large one
Lentil & Mushroom FIlling
–
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large field mushroom, finely chopped
3/4 cup dried puy lentils, rinsed
400ml tomato passata
3 cups of mushroom or veg stock
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a splash of tamari
1 stalk of rosemary, picked and chopped
small bunch of thyme, picked
1 bay leaf
Colcannon Topping
–
3-4 spuds and the same amount of parsnip, peeled and chopped
half a leek, finely chopped (or spring onion)
6 brussels sprouts, finely shredded
splash of milk
butter & evoo
sea salt flakes and white pepper to taste
Lentil & Mushroom Filling
In a heavy based pot, fry the onion, carrot and celery until tender, but not brown. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
Stir through the washed and rinsed lentils and cook for a few minutes.
Pour in the passata, stock, balsamic vinegar and the herbs, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer with the lid on ajar, check it every now and then and give it a stir.
Cook until lentils are tender, but not mushy, adding more water or stock if needed. If too wet, let simmer with the lid off to reduce. You're looking for a meat pie filling consistency.
Colcannon Topping
Boil the spuds and parsnip in salted water to make the mash and while this is happening, gently saute the leek and shredded brussels sprouts in butter and evoo until just wilted and still vibrant green.
Drain the parsnip and spuds, returning them to the same pot so they can dry out a bit. Add the milk and butter, as much as you like and mash until there are no lumps. Stir through the leek and brussels sprouts and season to taste.
Assemble
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
You may want to make one big pie, or smaller individual ones so grab your dish/es of choice and divide up evenly, smoothing out at the end.
Do the same with the Colcannon, but keep the top messy and clumpy so it crisps up in the oven. I shave off some slivers of butter with a knife and dot on the top and season with white pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is nice and browned and bubbling.