Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie

Name: Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: irish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons 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 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound medium-brown or white mushrooms, quartered; 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, caps only, sliced 1/4-inch thick; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme; 2 small garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 2 tablespoons white miso (optional); 2 cups whole milk; 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water; 3 pounds russet or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup heavy cream; Salt and pepper; 1 cup homemade coarse dry bread crumbs

By David Tanis

Total Time: 1½ hours
Rating: 4(1,661)
Comments: Read comments

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.

Featured in: When Shepherd’s Pie Loses the Lamb

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

For the Filling

2tablespoons unsalted butter
1large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
Salt and pepper
4medium leeks, tender green and white parts, split lengthwise and cut in 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2tablespoons olive oil
1pound medium-brown or white mushrooms, quartered
½pound shiitake mushrooms, caps only, sliced ¼-inch thick
2teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2small garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoons chopped parsley
2tablespoons white miso (optional)
2cups whole milk
2tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

For the Topping

3pounds russet or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
6tablespoons unsalted butter
½cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1cup homemade coarse dry bread crumbs

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. 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.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in thyme, garlic and parsley, and toss to coat.
Step 4
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.
Step 5
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.
Step 6
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.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,661 user ratings

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Comments

A tips from London 6 years ago

The secret to getting the topping right is to use cold, leftover mash. If it’s hot when you bake it, it can turn into a sludgy mess. But if it’s cold, this is when it crisps up nicely into a golden brown in the oven. Also a note on veganising recipe, cashew nuts soaked in water and then blitzed make a fine cream replacement.

Debby6 years ago

I haven't made this yet, but when I do, based on the reviews here, I'm going to roast my mushrooms rather than sautee 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. I'll slice them, toss them in olive oil, s&p, and a pinch of sugar and roast at 500 for 20-25 minutes, turning once. While they are in the oven, I can get the rest done while mushrooms are cooking.

Karen6 years ago

Tip from a Brit: (A few dashes of) Worcestershire sauce should be as good an addition to a veggie pie as it is traditionally to Shepherd's Pie.

Tonia3 months ago

Wondering if I can use Cannellini beans instead of Mashed Potatoes. They have slightly less potassium which I need to reduce in my kidney diet. Going to give it a try.

Chachkii7 months ago

Real hit! Following suggestions from others, I roasted the mushrooms first, 450 degrees for 25 minutes, and added a zucchini to the mushroom roast I wanted more protein so cooked 1 (dry) cup of French lentils, with 3 cups of water separately. I thought they added a depth of flavour too. Halved the cream in the mushroom layer: 1 cup half and half, 1 cup water, used zaatar instead of fresh thyme.

Eugenia9 months ago

The second time I made this I deviated from the recipe. I used a cup of wine to deglaze the mushroom pan and let the wine reduce by about half, and substituted one cup of thin cream for the two cups of milk. Left out the miso, added more salt. Didn't use cream for the mash, just a bit of milk. It was decadent.

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