Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the vegetables and oven
Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Cut the potatoes and parsnip into pieces about 3 cm in size. Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery, and slice the mushrooms.
Cook the potatoes and parsnip
Put the potatoes and parsnip in a pot, cover with 1.5 l of water, add 3 g of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 18–22 minutes, until the pieces can be pierced easily with a knife. Drain and leave to steam-dry for one minute.
Make the lentil filling base
Heat 15 ml of olive oil in a deep frying pan. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 6–8 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they are browned in places. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
Simmer the lentils
Add the rinsed lentils to the pan, along with the stock, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, the remaining 2 g of salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The lentils should be tender and the filling thick; if the liquid evaporates too soon, add 50 ml of water. Remove the bay leaf.
Make the mash and assemble the bake
Mash the cooked potatoes and parsnip with 20 ml of olive oil and 80 ml of water until smooth and thick. Spread the lentil filling in a baking dish with a capacity of about 2 l. Spread the mash over the top, right to the edges, and lightly fluff the surface with a fork.
Bake and let it rest
Bake on the middle oven rack for 20–25 minutes at 210 °C, until the edges of the filling are gently bubbling and the tips of the mash are golden. Let the bake stand for 5 minutes before serving so the portions are easier to scoop.
