Celeriac, Wild Mushroom & Lentil “Lasagna” Recipe
Seasonal Recipe: Celeriac, Wild Mushroom & Lentil “Lasagna”
Oliver has created this delicious vegan and gluten-free recipe as a celebration of celeriac – an amazing winter root vegetable full of fibre and nourishment. Thin slices of celeriac are used in place of the pasta sheets you normally expect in a lasagne. Then, a purée of the same vegetable creates a béchamel without any dairy or flour. The dish is layered with a tasty mushroom, spinach and lentil ragù. The lasagne can be prepared in advance or even frozen, uncooked.
Ingredients Serves 4–6
2 Celeriac, scrubbed and peeled, the trimmings reserved for stock
2 tablespoons Rapeseed oil
1 Onion, roughly chopped
1 Garlic Clove
Bay Leaves, Peppercorns and Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
60g Vegan Parmesan
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and sliced
Parsley, to garnish
For the wild mushroom and lentil ragù
2 tablespoons Rapeseed Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 tbsp Chopped Thyme
150g Fresh Mushrooms, diced
100g Puy Lentils
40g Dried Wild Mushrooms, soaked in 200ml warm water
400g can Chopped Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
150g Spinach
Method
For the wild mushroom ragù. Put the oil in a heavy-based pan over a moderate heat. Cook the onion, garlic and thyme until soft. Add the fresh mushrooms, cook for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils, chopped tomato and dried mushrooms together with the water they have been soaked in. Season to taste, reduce the heat, simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and the mixture has reduced and thickened.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the spinach, and allow to cool.
Make a vegetable stock. Sweat the celeriac trimmings, onion, garlic, bay, peppercorns and nutmeg in a little rapeseed oil. Add 500ml of water, season with salt and onion powder. Simmer over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, until the volume is reduced by half. Skim off any impurities from the top, sieve out the solids, set the stock aside for making the béchamel.
Cut wide ribbons from one of the peeled celeriac, using a widemouthed peeler. Blanch the ribbons in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, refresh under cold running water, set aside.
Dice the second celeriac into 2cm cubes. Heat a little more oil in a pan over a moderate heat and fry the celeriac cubes until lightly golden and tender. Transfer into a food processor, blitz while slowly adding the stock and the vegan parmesan. It will become a smooth, creamy béchamel.
To assemble, spoon a layer of the ragu into a casserole dish. Layer celeriac ribbons on top, add another layer of each. Spoon the béchamel over, then lay pieces of celeriac and sweet potato in a scalloped layer on top
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes, garnished with chopped parsley.
Wine Pairing: Nutbourne Pinot Noir
After feasting on lasagna, cosy up on a Winter’s evening with a glass of our still red wine, Nutbourne Pinot Noir. Youthful and fruity, with ample black cherry and plum, it is beautifully rounded with gentle spice. A portion of this wine was aged in French oak for six months to add depth to the lighter Burgundy style.
All of our wines are available from the vineyard cellar door and our online shop →
