Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Serves: Serves 6 - 8

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ready In: 55 mins

2 tablespoons - olive oil

3 - shallots

1 lb - mushrooms

6 medium - carrots

1 sprig - rosemary

1 sprig - thyme

2 - bay leaves

2 tablespoons - tomato purée (tomato paste)

2 tablespoons - flour

½ cup - red wine

1-2 cups - vegetable stock (from a stock cube)

8-12 oz - frozen peas

2 lb - potatoes

4 oz - full fat Greek yogurt

2-3 oz - butter

- salt to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces of roughly equal size (A medium-sized potato is usually cut into about 6 pieces). Rinse the potatoes to remove any surface starch. Now place them in a large pan with sufficient salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to the boil then turn down the heat and cover the pan so that it continues to boil gently.
Cooking time can vary depending upon the type of potato and the texture. Generally, however, somewhere between 15 - 20 minutes is sufficient. When you think that the potatoes are close to being cooked, pierce one or two of them with a fork. If the fork penetrates easily with little resistance, the potatoes are cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water. Add the butter and, using a potato masher, begin to break up and mash the potatoes. Add natural, unflavoured yoghurt until the texture is soft and light. Season to taste and set aside to keep warm.
While the potatoes are cooking, peel and finely chop the shallots, slice the mushrooms, and peel and chop the carrots. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large oven-proof pot (I use a cocotte - a Dutch oven - but a heatproof casserole dish will work just fine). Add the shallots and sauté gently until soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs (you will pull the herbs out later). Sauté until the carrots are softened.
To make the gravy, add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine and degalze the pan (scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan). Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the stock, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt. Simmer over low heat to thicken it further.
Remove the herbs. Stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top (brush with butter to be extra awesome), and bake in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 350°F - 180°C) for 15 minutes. If you want your pie browned on top, finish it inder the oven grill (broiler) for a few minutes until you have the golden colour you want.