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Mary Berry Mushroom, Lentil and Double Potato Jumble

Mary Berry's vegetarian lentil and mushroom tray bake, as seen on the BBC2 series Simple Comforts, features a double potato and creamy cheese topping. Winter comfort food at its finest.

From the book

Introduction

A hearty meat-free dish, this is just right for feeding a gang of hungry people. It’s served in one dish and can be prepared ahead, ready to pop in the oven when it’s nearly time to eat. And it’s so full of flavour the carnivores won’t miss their meat!

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
175g (6oz) dried Puy lentils
150ml (5fl oz) white wine
1½ tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
25g (1oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
500g (1lb 2oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping:
350g (12oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm (½in) cubes
350g (12oz) white potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm (½in) cubes
a knob of butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp snipped chives
50g (2oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Essential kit

You will need: an ovenproof dish with a capacity of about 1.8 litres (3¼ pints) and measuring about 15 x 25 x 5cm (6 x 10 x 2in). You will also need an ovenproof frying pan or sauté pan with a lid.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and butter the dish.

2. Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for about 10 seconds. Add the lentils, white wine, tomato paste and stock, stir and bring to the boil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven for about 50–60 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat for a minute. Cover with a lid and cook for few minutes more over a gentle heat. Remove the lid and increase the heat to evaporate the liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the lentil mixture, stir and spoon into an ovenproof dish.

4. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

5. For the topping, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 5–8 minutes until just soft, then drain well. Melt the butter in the empty pan, tip the potatoes back in and add the garlic and chives. Season with salt and pepper and carefully mix to coat the potatoes in the herby, garlicky butter.

6. Spoon the potatoes on top of the lentil mixture and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes until crispy brown and bubbling around the edges. Serve piping hot, with some green vegetables.

Prepare ahead: Can be made up to a day ahead, up to the final 20 minutes of baking with the topping.

Mary Berry's Simple Comforts book

Reviews

5 out of 5 stars

4 Ratings

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6 Comments

    default user avatar Janet Moorhouse

    This recipe is lovely I’ve made a few times but wasted ingredients after so would I be able to freeze and if so at what point do I freeze it

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Janet,

    You could definitely freeze this recipe – we’d advise freezing the leftovers.

    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Joana

    Does this work with other type of lentils or with pre-cooked ones?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Joana,

    Thank you for your comment. For this particular recipe we wouldn’t advise using pre-cooked lentils as they won’t absorb the flavour of the stock. You can absolutely try other dried varieties however.

    Happy Cooking!
    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Jules

    My daughter made it and it was absolutely wonderful. Cannot wait to make it when I get home.

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    default user avatar Amanda

    Great, tasty meal. Takes a bit longer than my usual evening meals, but worth the extra effort. Have always wanted to try Puy lentils but was unsure what to put with them. Love Mary’s take on real food!

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From the book: Simple Comforts

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