To start, I offer an obligatory word of caution for any foraged food. Make sure you do your research and know exactly what you’re picking! We stick to the easy to identify mushrooms and plants to maximize our enjoyment of wild edibles while minimizing our risk.
That business aside, this was an incredibly fun and rewarding meal to make! We found Golden Chanterelles and a White Chicken on consecutive hikes, so we wanted to feature them in a fun way. The general idea to make mushroomy Shepherd’s Pie came from a dinner we enjoyed recently at Buttonwood Grill (Buckingham, PA)…but we decided to up it a notch by using our foraged mushrooms. In the end, all of the ingredients blended together very well from a flavour and texture standpoint, and everyone was happy to eat this vegetarian entree!
Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
- For the Filling:
- Wild Mushrooms of your Choice. We used a combination of White Chicken and Golden Chanterelles.
- Onion
- Zucchini
- Shredded Carrot
- Riced Cauliflower
- Worcestershire Sauce
- A few tablespoons of Butter
- A few tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
- 1-2 Cups of Vegetable Stock
- For the Topping:
- A few small Russet Potatoes
- Milk
- Butter
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Method:
- Rinse and dice your potatoes. Then, put them in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until soft.
- As your potatoes cook, turn your attention to your filling:
- Dice your onion and zucchini, and rice your cauliflower with the shredding plate of your food processor.
- Rinse your mushrooms, and cut any inedible parts off.
- Heat a large cast iron pan with a little butter in it.
- When the butter is hot, add your onions, and allow to caramelize.
- As your onion cooks, dice your mushrooms.
- Add your zucchini and cauliflower to your pan, and cook until they soften. Then, add your carrots, and cook for a little longer.
- Add your mushrooms to your cast iron pan along with some Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Cook for about 3-5 more minutes.
- Sprinkle your flour atop your veggie medley, and stir to combine. Then, pour in your veggie stock, and bring to a simmer. Allow to thicken.
- As your filling thickens, drain your potato water, and pour your potatoes (they should be soft at this point) into the bowl of your food processor with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Puree, and add more milk as necessary to get your mashed potatoes to a spreadable consistency.
- When your veggie stock has thickened and nicely coats your veggies as a thick stew, spread your mashed potatoes atop everything.
- Transfer your pan to your broiler, and leave it under low heat to brown the top of your potatoes.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
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