Almost Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

This dish contains a little bit of fish, which gives it a kick so it is not suitable for the strictest of vegetarians but if you eat some fish then this pie is the epitome of comfort food. It takes a little while to make but it is well worth it. It also freezes well, so I tend to make up a double batch of the 'mince' mixture and then freeze it. Double check that your chargrilled peppers and sundried tomatoes don't contain garlic, if you are making them Low Fodmap.

Ingredients

• 1 Courgette
• 1 tsp Salt
• 100g of Anchovies in Oil, anchovies chopped into 1.5cm pieces, oil reserved
• 2 tsp Asafoetida
• 4 Carrots, chopped into 1cm sized pieces
• 2 sticks of Celery, chopped into 1cm sized pieces
• 100g Chopped Tin Tomatoes
• 4 Thyme Sprigs
• 2 Rosemary Sprigs
• 1.5 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 250ml Low Fodmap Stock
• 250g Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped into segments
• 550g Potatoes, peeled and chopped into segments
• 40g Butter (if you are lactose free use dairy free margarine)
• 125ml Hot Milk (if you are lactose free use almond milk)
• 1-2 tbsp Truffle Oil
• 150g Baby Spinach
• 100g Sundried Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp Cornflour
• 500g Quorn Mince
• 100g Chargrilled Pepper (optional), chopped
• 60g Coarsely Grated Mature Cheddar (if you are lactose free then use a lactose free cheese)
• 20g Parmesan
• Couple of splashes of Vermouth (use dry white wine if you do not have any vermouth to hand)

Utensils

• Plate
• Paper Kitchen Towel
• Very Large Saucepan
• Large Saucepan
• Electric Whisk or Manual Ricer
• Medium Ovenproof Dish

Method

1. Slice the courgette into 1 cm slices and spread evenly across a plate. Sprinkle the salt across the up-facing fleshy side of the courgette and leave for 15-20 minutes. This is to draw out its bitter tasting water. When this happens lay the kitchen towel across to absorb the water and then rinse the courgette to remove the excess salt. Chop the courgette into small squares.
2. Remove 1.5 tbsp of the anchovy oil from the tin/jar and put it in a large saucepan over a medium high heat, add the asafoetida and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots and celery and mix, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add in the tinned tomatoes, fish sauce, white wine vinegar, paprika, rosemary, thyme, stock. Stir to combine and then increase the heat to bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes
3. Whilst this is cooking, boil the potatoes and sweet potato in a large saucepan of water for circa 20 minutes until they are cooked through (a knife can slide into them easily). When cooked, mash them with the butter, milk, truffle oil and vermouth - I find it is best to do this with an electric whisk or a ricer, to get a really smooth mash. Season to taste
4. Heat the oven grill to high
5. Remove the herbs from the vegetable sauce. Rinse the anchovies in water to remove the excess salt, then add them, the courgette, spinach and sundried tomatoes to the saucepan and cook with the lid on for a 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add in the cornflour. Stir to combine and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add in the quorn and chargrilled peppers (if using). Mix to combine and then cook for a further 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Place the mince mixture in an ovenproof dish and smooth out. Spread the mashed potato over the top and smooth over, ensuring that it is evenly distributed and all the mince is covered. Sprinkle the two cheeses. Cook under the grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and started to turn a slightly golden colour. Serve with salad.