Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

 
It was a sad day the day I learned that Gourmet was shuttering its doors.  I loved getting my copy each month, and I would lie in bed, reading stories of adventures half a world away and folding the corners of the pages with recipes I wanted to try.  And drinking in the pictures.  Ah, those pictures.  They conveyed delicious food, but also the beauty of raw ingredients and the occasions for serving them. 

It seems short-sighted to assume that a magazine that endured World War II, several recessions, and the increased popularity of pre-packaged foods couldn't endure this recession.  But what do a million readers know that a few high priced consultants don't?  So that's the end of that.

 
Gourmet's last issue was the November one.  It had been written prior to the decision to close the magazine, so there is no farewell from Ruth Reichl or even a hint that it was the end.  Perhaps it is fitting, though, that the last issue was the Thanksgiving issue, full of recipes for that most traditional and universal of our country's holidays. 

When I started to think about what I would make for our vegetarian Thanksgiving entree, Gourmet's Shepherd's Pie recipe was the obvious choice.  We made it for a dinner party to test it out, and it was the perfect hearty, delicious meal to serve in the fall.  It is made with the season's root vegetables, including onions, parsnips, carrots, celery root, and potatoes.  The base for the stew is a rich red wine broth, and the topping is rich, creamy, and lightly browned.   

Maybe someone will bring Gourmet back, with or without the name.  Until then, I still have my back issues and my Gourmet Cookbook.  With a single exception, everything I have made out of this book has been great.  (I still can't figure out why their yellow cake recipe is such a dud, but that is a story for another day).  One of these days I will splurge for the new Gourmet Today cookbook, too, but for now, I will eat my way through my stash of recipes, savoring every bite.

 
Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

The stew and the potatoes can both be made in advance.  Before transferring the stew to the casserole dish, bring it to a simmer until it is heated through.  Heat the mashed potatoes over low heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently so they do not scorch, or in the microwave until they are warm.

You can substitute canned beans for the dried beans, although they will not hold their shape as well as the dried ones. 

Serves 8
30 minutes hours preparation time
1 hour 45 minutes cooking time, plus 1 1/2 to 2 hours if using dried beans

for the stew:
1 generous cup dried flageolet beans or pre-soaked cannellini beans or 2 15-ounce cans cannellini 
beans
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig rosemary
10 ounces pearl onions (about 20)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium leeks, cut lengthwise, sliced, and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped or brushed and sliced
4 medium carrots, cubed (about 4 cups)
3 medium parsnips, cubed (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
1 750-ml full bodied red wine, such as a Cotes du Rhone
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

for the potato topping:
5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)
2 celery root heads, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

If you are using flageolet beans, put them in a small stockpot with sprigs of parsley and rosemary and cover them generously with water.  Bring the beans to a boil, add a few shakes of salt, reduce the heat, and simmer until the beans are tender.  I used my Rancho Gordo flageolet beans, which cook more quickly than supermarket dried beans, and they cooked in 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  If you are using dried cannellini beans, soak them overnight first and they too should cook in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Add the pearl onions and let them cook for about 2 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them until they're cool.  Peel them.  Gourmet's recipe calls for leaving them whole, but ours were larger than bite-sized.  Next time I will cut them into halves or quarters, leaving the root end intact if possible.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the leeks and a pinch of salt.  Stir to coat them with the oil, cover the pot, and let them cook until they are tender, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and a couple more pinches of salt and let them cook just until they start to release some liquid, about 6 minutes.  Add the carrots, parsnips, rosemary, and thyme.  Cover the pot and cook the vegetables until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove the vegetables from the pot and set them aside.

Pour the bottle of wine into the same pot, bring it to a simmer and let it cook until it has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 20 minutes.  In a small bowl, mix together the butter and flour to form a paste (or, as Gourmet calls it, a beurre manie).  Add the vegetable broth to the wine, warm it, and add the beurre manie.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Add the beans, pearl onions, and vegetable mixture.  If you are using canned beans, drain and rinse them, and add them at this point.  Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chopped parsley and stir.

Meanwhile, prepare the potato filling.  Put the potatoes and celery root chunks in a pot with enough water to cover generously.  Add a couple of pinches of salt to the water and bring it to a boil.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small stock pot.  Add the milk and cream and heat the mixture, but remove it from the heat before it simmers. 

When the potatoes and celery root are finished, drain the water and mash them.  Add the cream mixture and mash again. 

Just before you are ready to serve the casserole, preheat the oven to broil.  Pour the stew into the bottom of a large casserole pan.  Layer the mashed potatoes on top.  Broil until the top of the potato layer is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

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Comments

[Tamara Rice]

Gorgeous 3-in-1 photo!!! How did you do that???

[laura]

i know. i am soooo sad about gourmet. such a bummer. i haven't even been able to open my last issue yet. maybe i think if i keep postponing it that somehow the next issue will arrive.

[Leticia]

Long live Gourmet in our hearts. I am already missing it too but thankfully their recipes live on!

[Mary]

I think your photos will help give solace to those of us missing Gourmet Magazine!! Beautiful. Mary

[Margy]

Tamara: I have a fabulous web designer who set up a template for me. You should check out her site, www.sliceinteractive.com.

Laura & Leticia: It is so sad, isn't it. For some reason, I actually got 2 of them. I assumed they sent all subscribers two because they had too much inventory. So I have one to read and one to save.

Mary: What a nice thing to say!