Brown Lentil Cottage Pie with Mashed Potatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Peel the potatoes, cut them into roughly 3 cm pieces, and put them in a pot with 1,500 ml water and 2 g salt. Boil for 18–20 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a knife.

   
2. 2

   Cook the lentils

   Rinse the lentils, place them in a second pot, and cover with 650 ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 22–25 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain.

   
3. 3

   Prepare the lentil filling

   Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery, and mince the garlic. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a deep frying pan. Cook the vegetables over medium heat for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the edges of the carrot begin to turn lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked lentils, chopped tomatoes, stock, thyme, rosemary, peas, 2 g salt, and black pepper. Cook uncovered for 6–8 minutes, until the filling thickens. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

   
4. 4

   Finish the mashed potatoes

   Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for 1 minute. Mash them with the oat drink, the remaining 15 ml olive oil, and 1 g salt. The mash should be smooth but firm enough to cover the filling without running when baked.

   
5. 5

   Assemble and bake the pie

   Spread the lentil filling in a baking dish with a capacity of about 2 l. Spoon the mash on top and use a fork to make shallow ridges across the surface. Bake at 200 °C for 20–22 minutes, until the edges of the filling are visibly bubbling and the top of the mash has golden peaks.

   
6. 6

   Let it rest and serve

   After removing the dish from the oven, let it rest for 8 minutes so the filling does not spill out when sliced. Serve hot, when the layer of mash on top has set and the filling beneath is still juicy.