Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 100 g beans, black, dried
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 100 g peas, frozen
• 200 g carrot(s), peeled and weighed
• 150 g red pointed peppers, cleaned and weighed
• 70 g leek, cleaned and weighed
• 70 g Celery, cleaned and weighed
• 1 chili pepper(s), red, possibly pitted
• 2 bay leaves, fresh
• 100 ml red wine
• 200 g tomatoes, chopped
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper
• Smoked salt, approx. 0.5 tsp
• olive oil
• 300 g Hokkaido pumpkin(s)
• 300 g potatoes, floury
• some butter
• salt and pepper
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• 50 g grated Cheddar cheese or other hard cheese

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 14 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes; Total time approx. 16 hours 55 minutes

Soak the beans in plenty of water the night before. After 12-14 hours, cook the beans until tender. This will take about 70-80 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside. Blanch the peas for about 3 minutes, drain, and set aside. Finely dice the carrots and pointed peppers or slice them into strips using a mandoline. Finely slice the leek and celery. Finely dice the onion and garlic and sauté in a little olive oil. Add the vegetables and fry for 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped chili pepper and bay leaves, and deglaze with red wine. Bring everything to a boil briefly, then add the tomatoes. Cover the pan and simmer the vegetables until just tender. This will take 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables. Add the precooked peas and beans and season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and about 1/2 teaspoon of smoked salt. Place the vegetables in a casserole dish (approximately 20 x 25 cm). Dice the Hokkaido pumpkin and potatoes and cook in salted water until tender, drain, and allow to evaporate. Mash the mixture, add the butter, and season the purée with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spread the mash over the vegetables. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven, preheated to 190°C (375°F), for about 20-25 minutes. If desired, you can substitute the black beans for lentils or about 200g of canned kidney beans.