Vegan Lancashire Hotpot

I have to add a caveat here, although this is vegan, it's not terribly good for you, no I'm sorry but this is naughty food.  Mainly due to the vast amount of olive oil and fat which I add.  However if you want the authentic Lancashire Hot Pot experience then you are just going to have to live dangerously.  You could make this as a very healthy option by cutting out the oil but I guarantee it won't be as good. As usual the ingredients can be swapped around or left out, but I would urge you to try the soy sauce and nutritional yeast coating

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 carrots, chopped

1 swede, chopped

20 or so button mushrooms

Packet of Quorn chunks, or Seitan or Jack fruit..."you pays yer money and makes yer choice"

Soy sauce

Nutritional Yeast

1 parsnip, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp plain flour

2 Vegetable Oxo

Marmite

Dried herbs or fresh if you have them

Good handful of fresh parsley if you have it, chop finely and keep the chopped stalks separate from the leaves

900g/2lb potatoes, sliced into 2mm slices

Flora vegan spread or whatever you happen to use

salt and black pepper

Sherry, Port, Red Wine...whatever

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a very generous amount of olive oil and a dollop of Flora , add the onion, the carrots, swede and parsnip. Fry for 10 minutes or so, add the dried herbs and parsley stalks with water to nearly cover the veg and bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Add a glug of alcohol and the 2 stock cubes.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan of water and cook the sliced potato in boiling water until they soften slightly. Drain and set aside the water then put potatoes into cold water to cool them and make them easier to handle.

While the veg and the potato are simmering add another generous glug of olive oil and another dollop of Flora to another pan, chuck in the Quorn chunks and the mushrooms.  Make sure they are both well coated in oil. Slosh on some soy sauce, mix and then coat with the nutritional yeast and cook.  Taste and add more soy and yeast if needed.

Keep an eye on the veg, you may need to add more water. When the vegetables have softened drain and set aside the water. Add the flour to the veg and mix well. Bring up to a medium heat and gradually add the water/stock you set aside, you'll probably need more water so you can use the potato water and another glug or two of sherry. 

Once you have your sauce to the consistency that you like, add the mushroom and Quorn chunks and mix well.  If need be add more liquid.  Taste and either add Marmite or salt if needed.

Pour the vegetable mix into a large ovenproof dish about. Arrange the potato slices over the top of the vegetables, seasoning between layers with salt and pepper to taste and finishing with a neat layer of slices. Liberally coat with olive oil and dot over some Flora and finish by sloshing over soy sauce and sprinkling with some more nutritional yeast . Place into the preheated oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes are golden-brown on top.