Recipe by David Tanis
Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb and vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes instead of pastry. If made with beef, it is called cottage pie. So it should follow that a vegetable version could be named gardener’s pie. Filled with a saucy, savory leek and mushroom stew, it’s a pie that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Serves 6-8
FOR THE FILLING:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper
4 medium leeks, tender green and white parts, split lengthwise and cut in 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb medium-brown or white mushrooms, quartered
½ lb shiitake mushrooms, caps only, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp white miso (optional)
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
FOR THE TOPPING:
3 lbs russet or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
6 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 cup homemade coarse dry bread crumbs
Heat oven to 350 F.
Put butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add leeks, a little more salt and stir to combine. Cook mixture for about 5 minutes more, until leeks have lost their crunch, but are still green. Turn off heat.
Cook the mushrooms separately (work in batches if necessary): Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is wavy, add both kinds of mushrooms and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned.
(Alternatively, you can roast the mushrooms rather than fry them. Roasting mushrooms at a high heat makes them chewy and meaty-tasting, plus one can do them all at once, so it’s less work, and there are fewer pans taking up stove space.
Slice them, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar and roast at 500 for 20-25 minutes, turning once. While they are in the oven, you can get the rest done while the mushrooms are cooking.)
Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in thyme, garlic and parsley, and toss to coat.
Add mushrooms to onion-leek mixture, and turn heat to medium-high.
Add miso and milk, and bring to a simmer.
Stir cornstarch and water, add to mixture and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and leave at room temperature.
Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash with 4 tablespoons butter, then stir in cream and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread mashed potatoes evenly over surface of vegetable mixture.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbling and nicely browned.