The Hairy Bikers’ Mushroom bourguignon cobbler (vegetarian)

Dave Myers and Si King, collectively known as The Hairy Bikers, have kindly given this special mushroom bourguignon cobbler recipe to Share A Meal.

‘We love the idea of cooking for your neighbours. It’s a great way to connect with people, especially those living alone, and we hope you’ll enjoy making - and eating - this special veggie dish from our new Veggie Feasts cookbook. It has a rich, almost meaty, flavour with a cobbler topping by popular demand. We’ve used blue cheese but if you’re not a fan, a veggie cheddar would be fine too.’

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

12 button onions or shallots, peeled

and left whole

300g carrots, cut into chunks

½ tsp sugar

25g butter

750g mushrooms (mix of portobello,

chestnut, button, cremini), thickly sliced

sea salt and black pepper

1 large sprig of thyme

2 bay leaves

a few sage leaves, finely chopped

200ml red wine

300ml mushroom or vegetable stock

1 tbsp mushroom ketchup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

parsley, finely chopped, to serve

Cobbler topping

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dried sage

50g blue cheese, crumbled

1 egg

75ml buttermilk

Method

1. First make the bourguignon. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and add the onions or shallots and the carrots. Fry over a high heat, stirring regularly, until they are dappled with dark brown patches. Sprinkle over the sugar and continue to cook for another couple of minutes to help caramelise. Remove them from the dish and set aside.

2. Add the butter to the casserole dish. When it starts to foam, add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat until they have reduced down. Put the onions and carrots back in the dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the herbs, then pour in the red wine. Bring to the boil and leave to bubble until the wine has reduced by at least a third. Add the stock, mushroom ketchup and mustard and stir until completely combined.

3. Bring back to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for half an hour, perhaps a little longer, until the vegetables are completely tender. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. 

4. Meanwhile, make the cobbler topping. Put the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half a teaspoon of salt. Add the sage and the cheese, then mix in the egg and buttermilk to make a fairly sticky dough. Form the dough into 12 small balls and space out over the top of the bourguignon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then transfer the dish to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10-15 minutes until the cobbler topping has puffed up and is lightly browned.

5. Serve in shallow bowls with a garnish of finely chopped parsley.

Taken from The Hairy Bikers’ Veggie Feasts, published by Seven Dials, £22