Mushroom Lasagne (Again)

A slightly more user-friendly version of this recipe I previously posted to tie in with a story it featured in.

Mushroom Lasagne

Mushroom Sauce

Mushrooms, cut into small pieces. If you have a selection of wild mushrooms or some nice chestnut mushrooms then they will be excellent. Field mushrooms are fine. Dried mushrooms will also be good; soak them for an hour before using then cut them up and retain the mushroom water for the stock
Onion, chopped
A couple of sticks of celery, chopped
A small carrot, chopped
A couple of cloves of garlic, chopped
Some herbs, thyme is good, also oregano, dried or fresh, whatever you like and is to hand
A glass of red wine
A tin of chopped tomatoes
Some vegetable stock, or a veg stockcube (Or chicken stock, though as written the dish is vegetarian so make your choice accordingly)
A splash of soy sauce
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

White Sauce

A big lump of butter
A couple of spoons of plain flour
A pint of milk, maybe a bit more.

Lasagne

Lasagne sheets
Mozzarella
Grated cheese


Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sweat off the onions, celery, garlic, herbs, carrot until soft. Add the mushrooms and let them cook down a little. Stir in the tomato puree, and if you have a stock cube crumble it and stir that in. Pour in the glass of wine, and cook off the alcohol. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and stir in, add the mushroom water if there is some and the stock or water until it's a bit too sloppy. Season then allow to cook for a while. You want it to be quite thick, so if it’s a little watery allow it to reduce.

When nearly ready heat the oven to maybe 180C. Make a white sauce (melt butter, cook in the flour, add milk by increments, stirring constantly until thick). Take it off the heat. Now assemble the lasagne in a big over-proof dish as seems appropriate; usually one layer of mushroom sauce, one layer of lasagne sheets, a layer of white sauce. Two repeats is fine, three is good, more is showing off. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

On top sprinkle grated cheese (for flavour) and lay sliced mozzarella (for stickiness). Put the lasagne dish on a baking tray in case it overflows, then into the oven for probably 40 minutes or the top is browning and melty and bubbling. Serve with bread and a salad.

Sorry there aren't more pictures I forgot I was doing this to make the recipe.