Veggie variation of the classic, making the mushrooms the star of the show. Vegetarian and vegan options here also.
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| Slice of lasagne with vegan Béchamel |
I like king oyster mushrooms for this, although they can be hard to find in Ireland. I usually get mine from the AsiaMarket.ie, along with some of their other great selection of ingredients. If you can’t get king oysters, then portobello will work.
Ingredients
About 300g king oyster - that would be 3 good size ones.
A glass / 150ml white wine (vegan if desired)
2 garlic cloves, separately finely chopped
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 small onions (I usually mix white, red or roscoff), finely chopped
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar or agave or maple syrup
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Non-vegan Béchamel:
2 tbsp oil (olive / rapeseed)
2 tbsp flour
300ml milk (warmed - I usually give it a minute in the microwave)
250g grated cheddar (can mix red / white / mozzarella)
This can, of course, be made vegan using a plant based milk and a vegan meltable cheese. However, you can also give this cashew cheese and oat cream option a go:
Vegan Béchamel alternative:Make the cashew cheese sauce from the nut roast recipe. Stir in about 150ml of oat cream, or another vegan cream. The starch in the oat cream will help add some stretch and browning. This version is a little more straightforward than the traditional Béchamel because you don't need to cook flour and do all that stirring!
Method
Use a fork to help shred the stalks of the king oysters into strips. Separate off the caps and rough chop them. If using portobellos, slice thinly and then rough chop.
Heat a non-stick pan (seasoned cast iron works) to medium-hot and then add the mushrooms with no oil. Sprinkle on a good pinch of salt. Allow them to sear and start releasing their water. You can encourage this by pressing down on them with a spatula. You can turn them once there is a good sear going, but don’t disturb them too much until most of the water has evaporated off.
Once most of the water has gone, the mushrooms will start to colour - we really want to encourage that! Carefully add some oil to the pan and stir in. Then leave them alone as you prep other ingredients, with just an occassional stir and press-down. Once they are well browned, reserve the cooked mushrooms in a bowl.
Deglaze the pan with the glass of white wine and then allow it to reduce. Throw in one of the chopped garlic cloves along with some mixed herbs. Once the wine has reduced by over half, pour the contents of the pan over the mushrooms in the bowl. Throw in a good pinch of salt and several turns of ground black pepper and stir in.
As you are following the rest of these steps, continue stirring the bowl every so often, to help all the flavours mix.
Add some oil to the pan and add in the chopped onions. Allow to cook for several minutes until starting to become translucent, then add in the second chopped garlic clove, continuing to cook for another minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add in the carrot and celery and stir together for a minute.
Pour in the can of chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt, some pepper, and the teaspoon of sugar (or syrup). Bring to a simmer and then add in the reserved mushroom and wine mixture. Stir well and check for seasoning. Allow to simmer while you get on with the Béchamel.
Add the two tablespoons of oil to a saucepan and heat up to medium-hot. Once the oil is hot, stir in the two tablespoons of flour and allow to cook for at least a minute, continually stirring.
Take the saucepan off the heat and start adding in the warmed milk, only a small amount at a time, stirring it well into the flour before adding the next amount. Patience here is key, as adding too much liquid at once will lead to lumps and a not great sauce. It can often look at the start that it isn’t working well, but persist with a dash of milk at a time and it will start to come together. As the sauce forms, and there are no longer identifiable lumps of flour, you can add bigger amounts of milk at each turn. Once all the milk is in, put back on the heat and stir in about half the cheese. Stir until it has completely melted.
Turn on your oven to 200C. There is no real point in turning it on before this as it can be a waste of energy.
Take a lasagne, or other rectangular dish, and add some oil. Use your hand to spread it all over the inside of the dish and into each corner. Add about half of the mushroom and tomato sauce. Add a layer of lasagne sheets. Add the rest of the mushroom and tomato sauce, and the another layer of lasagne sheets. Pour over the Béchamel sauce and then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese (if using). Several turns of black pepper is also good here.
Pop the lasagne in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the Béchamel sauce has browned nicely and the lasagne is cooked. I always like to leave it to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving - gives me time to prepare a nice side salad to go with it!
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| Finished lasagne with vegan Béchamel |