Recipes
Cottage Pie and Crispy Potato Skins
180 mins
180 mins
Serves 6-8
Serves 6-8
"Comfort food at its best. This wholesome, warming cottage pie is packed with plant proteins nestled in a rich tomato sauce. The creamy, fluffy mash top is achieved by baking the potatoes whole, then scooping out the tender insides. We then turn these into crispy potato skins, which are everyone’s favourite and make the absolute most of your potatoes. For great crispy skins, buy unwashed potatoes for the best results. For the gluten-free version, use buckwheat groats instead of pearled barley." Anna Valentine.
Our thanks to Anna Valentine for sharing this recipe! Click here for more delicious recipes.
Print recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup pearl barley or buckwheat groats
- 1/4 Cup brown lentils
- 1.5 kg potatoes, unwashed agria or other floury potatoes
- 3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely sliced
- 4 mushrooms, grated
- 1 small beetroot or carrot, grated
- 3 sundried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 300ml jar passata
- 1 Tbs finely chopped fresh sage, or dried
- 1 Tbs finely chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary, or dried
- 1 Tbs smoked paprika
- 1 Tbs cacao powder
- 1 Tbs coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional)
- 1/4 Cup red split lentils
- 1/2 Cup roughly chopped walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 1.2 litres water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbs (30g) butter, plant-based or dairy
- 1/4 Cup milk, plant-based or dairy
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Measure the barley (or buckwheat groats) and the brown lentils into a jug and cover well with hot tap water and leave to soak while you prepare the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Scrub the potatoes, prick with a knife or fork and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife goes all the way through easily.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot on a medium-high heat and add the onion, celery, mushroom, beetroot, sundried tomatoes and garlic.
- Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar and stir through.
- Add the passata, herbs, smoked paprika, cacao, sugar (if using), red lentils and nuts.
- Drain the barley and brown lentils and add along with the fresh water, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with the first measure of salt and pepper and pour into an ovenproof dish.
- When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven, cool for a couple of minutes, slice in half length-ways and scoop the potato flesh into a ricer or bowl, press through or mash together with the butter, milk, and second measure of salt and pepper.
- Whip together with a fork. Spoon potato on top of the filling then, using a fork, spread it evenly right to the edges.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 45 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Put the leftover potato skins into a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil and some roughly chopped rosemary, salt and pepper and add to the oven for the last 15 minutes.
