Marmite, onion and roast root vegetable stew with cheesy scones

Serves 6

5 onions, thinly sliced 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 40g dried porcini mushrooms 1 parsnip, peeled and halved lengthways 2 carrots, peeled 1 tsp tomato purée 1 tsp English mustard powder 1 tbsp plain flour 250ml red or white wine 250ml dark ale 1 tsp Marmite 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp brown sauce 2 bay leaves 1-2 sprigs of rosemary 400g tin carlin peas

For the scones:

350g self-raising flour 1 tsp English mustard powder ¼ tsp cayenne 1 tsp salt 200g cold butter, cut into cubes 100g cheese (hard and blue cheeses are ideal), cut into small cubes 1 tbsp Marmite 200ml buttermilk 40g parmesan, grated plain flour, for dusting 1 egg, whisked

1 Heat 2 tbsp of oil in an ovenproof casserole dish and add the onions. Cook slowly for 40 mins–1 hr, stirring regularly. Add the garlic about 20 mins into cooking. 2 Meanwhile, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and rehydrate by covering with warm water, then set aside. Preheat the oven to 260C/Fan 240C/Gas 10.

3 Toss the parsnip and carrots in 1 tbsp oil and spread out on a baking tray, season with salt and roast for 20 mins, turning halfway. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

4 About 35 mins into cooking the onions, stir in the tomato purée and mustard and cook for 1-2 mins. Add the flour and stir thoroughly for 1 min more before pouring in the wine and ale, the Marmite, vinegar and brown sauce. Strain the mushrooms – reserving the soaking liquor – then dry and shred them into fine strips. Add the mushrooms and liquor, along with the bay, rosemary and drained peas.

5 Place the uncovered stew in the oven. While it’s bubbling, slice the roasted veg into chunks, then add to the stew after it’s been cooking for 35 mins and cook for a further 15 mins. When the time is up, stir in 1 tsp of salt and a grind of black pepper.

6 For the scones, put the flour, mustard powder, cayenne and salt into a food processor and blitz. Add the butter and blitz again until it has a sandy texture.

7 In a bowl, mix the cheese and Marmite. Transfer the flour and butter mixture to a mixing bowl and, with a knife, mix in the buttermilk, half the parmesan, and the Marmitey cheese. On a floured surface, bring the dough together with your hands until smooth, then roll out with a floured rolling pin until 4cm thick. Cut out 8-10 scones with a 7cm cutter, brush with egg and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. 8 Place the scones on top of the stew, turn the oven up to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7 and cook for 13 mins more, or until the scones are risen and golden. Serve immediately.

Taken from Restore by Gizzi Erskine (HQ). Photography: Issy Croker