Vegan Lancashire hotpot

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g (14oz) can jackfruit, drained and rinsed well
• 200g (7oz) oyster mushrooms
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp yeast extract or miso paste
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• 500ml (17fl oz) low-salt vegetable stock
• 750g (1lb 10oz) King Edward potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin discs
• 2 tbsp dairy-free butter, melted
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

1 Break jackfruit into pieces with your hands and put in a large bowl. Use two forks to tear shreds from mushrooms and add to bowl. Top with 1 tbsp of oil, yeast extract or miso paste and balsamic vinegar. Using a spoon or your hands, mix together until well coated. Marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.

2 Preheat oven to 150ºC fan/170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Add remaining oil to a wide, shallow casserole dish and fry onion and carrot for five minutes on medium heat until softened. Add jackfruit mix and the herbs. Cook for five minutes.

3 Stir in flour until fully integrated, then pour stock into the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until you have a rich, dark gravy.

4 Top stew with concentric circles of sliced potatoes, from the outside into the centre, overlapping each slice. Brush with melted butter, put the lid on and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.

5 Remove lid from pan, increase the temperature to 180ºC fan/200ºC/400F/gas 6 and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crisp on top. Sprinkle some fresh thyme during the last five minutes of cooking.

Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan is published by White Lion Publishing, priced £20. To buy at a discount, visit the Saga Bookshop.

Visit our vegan recipes section for more delicious meat-free meal ideas, including a recipe for mushroom 'steak' and kidney bean pie and vegan homity pie