Marmitey Quorn Cottage Pie

You either love it or you hate it, but Marmite doesn’t half improve the flavour of Quorn mince. Whenever I cook with this beef substitute I have to add a teaspoon or so of Marmite, to create the depth of flavour that is often the one thing lacking in Quorn mince. I call this the Maramitey Quorn Cottage Pie because, for the first time, the deep salty flavour of the Marmite itself actually shines through. The Marmite is added to the pan at the same time as the Quorn, so it is really absorbed into the mince. Now all you Marmite-phobes out there are probably thinking you’ll want to steer well clear of this particular recipe, but I can reassure you that even Ben, the ultimate hater of Marmite, actually enjoyed the flavour, much to my own surprise. He’ll be eating Nigella’s Marmite Spaghetti by the end of the year I’m sure of it!!

Serves 2, with leftovers

1 carrot, finely grated

1 onion, coarsely grated

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

300g packet Quorn mince, frozen

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp Marmite

2-3 tbsp plain white flour

Around 300ml stock of your choice (you may not need it all)

Around 400g potatoes, left unpeeled

Handful of grated cheddar cheese, optional

1. In a deep pan and over a medium heat, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the onion and carrot for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic cloves and fry for a further 3 minutes. Add the mince, and fry until cooked through.
2. Add the tomato paste and the Marmite, and fry for a further 2 minutes. Cover the mixture with the flour and fry for 1 minute, before slowly adding the stock, continuously stirring to form a gravy. Add enough stock to make a slightly runnier gravy, and leave to reduce for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and mash, and preheat the oven to 180C.
4. Pour the mixture into an appropriate ovenproof dish, cover with the mashed potato and sprinkle over the cheese.
5. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden and crisp on top and serve with salad.