Shepherd's Pie
Like all good traditional home cooked meals, you can make a Shepherd's pie in just about a million different ways, and everyone plus their grandma has a slightly different version. I am not going to tell you that some are better than others (although some undoubtedly are), but I will tell you this: without lamb, it ain't Shepherd's pie.
All in all, it's a pretty simple dish - there really isn't very much to it. The things to watch for are mostly texture and proportion. The first time I made this it came out on the dry side and I overdid it with the potatoes. The second time I left too much juice in the meat which made it a bit too runny, which, although it tasted substantially better than the dry version, didn't serve very well. This recipe is somewhere in the middle. Not too dry, not too gooey, but oozing with lamby goodness.
Another nice thing about shepherd's pie is that like lasagna, it's even better the next day - and it holds up very well when heated by microwave (in fact, this looks much tidier when you serve it on day 2 than day 1). So go ahead and make too much. You'll probably find, as I did, that you're happy you did.
Ingredients (serves 4):
500g minced lamb meat (or mixed lamb-beef mince)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 a thick winter carrot, diced (small cubes)
2 tbsp very finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic
400ml beef stock
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme (stems removed)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
For the potatoes:
800g potatoes, peeled and quartered
50ml milk
50ml double cream (or unsweetened whipping cream, unwhipped)
100g butter
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Pour some olive oil into a large skillet (ideally one you have a lid for) and sauté the onion and carrot until glazed (not browned!). Add the celery and garlic, and stir for another minute.
2. Add the meat and stir with the rest over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add bouillon, bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Lower the heat (to a medium-low), cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. (If you don’t have a lid, cover the pan tightly with some double-folded aluminium foil).
3. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them in half (or quarters if they are big), and place in a pot with boiling water just until they are soft on the inside (I am not going to try to give you a time here because it really depends on the size of your potatoes, but if you prick them with a fork and the fork goes right through with relatively little friction, they're done).
4. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the lamb mixture and stir, then simmer with the lid on for another 15 minutes.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Carry on with your potatoes. Mash them until no chunks are left and stir through butter, milk and cream (use a hand blender if you want a smoother, creamier consistency). As far as butter, milk and cream go - you can add a little more of one or the other, however you prefer it, just don’t go too gooey, you want a relatively firm mash. Season the mash with salt and pepper.
6. When the lamb has been simmering with the lid on for about 30 minutes (the 15 minutes from step 2 plus the 15 minutes from step 4), remove the lid and continue to simmer until there is only a little sauce left.
7. In a bowl, mix the tablespoon of flour with the tablespoon of butter (this makes sure that the flour doesn't leave chunks in your sauce). When mixed, add it to your lamb mince and stir through over medium-high heat for a few more minutes until the remaining sauce has thickened. You don't want your meat to be soaking in broth, but it should still be a little juicy.
8. Place the meat it in an ovenproof dish large enough to hold all the lamb and all the potatoes. Spread the lamb mince over the dish as the bottom layer, then cover with the mashed potatoes. Some people like to sprinkle grated cheese over the potatoes, but trust me on this - it doesn't really add much to the dish, which is rich enough without it. Instead, I like to brush the potatoes with a little melted butter.
9. Stick the dish in the middle of the oven and leave for roughly 30 minutes, until the mash is golden brown.
Serve hot with a fresh, simple green salad.
All in all, it's a pretty simple dish - there really isn't very much to it. The things to watch for are mostly texture and proportion. The first time I made this it came out on the dry side and I overdid it with the potatoes. The second time I left too much juice in the meat which made it a bit too runny, which, although it tasted substantially better than the dry version, didn't serve very well. This recipe is somewhere in the middle. Not too dry, not too gooey, but oozing with lamby goodness.
Another nice thing about shepherd's pie is that like lasagna, it's even better the next day - and it holds up very well when heated by microwave (in fact, this looks much tidier when you serve it on day 2 than day 1). So go ahead and make too much. You'll probably find, as I did, that you're happy you did.
500g minced lamb meat (or mixed lamb-beef mince)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 a thick winter carrot, diced (small cubes)
2 tbsp very finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic
400ml beef stock
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme (stems removed)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
For the potatoes:
800g potatoes, peeled and quartered
50ml milk
50ml double cream (or unsweetened whipping cream, unwhipped)
100g butter
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Pour some olive oil into a large skillet (ideally one you have a lid for) and sauté the onion and carrot until glazed (not browned!). Add the celery and garlic, and stir for another minute.
2. Add the meat and stir with the rest over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add bouillon, bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Lower the heat (to a medium-low), cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. (If you don’t have a lid, cover the pan tightly with some double-folded aluminium foil).
3. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them in half (or quarters if they are big), and place in a pot with boiling water just until they are soft on the inside (I am not going to try to give you a time here because it really depends on the size of your potatoes, but if you prick them with a fork and the fork goes right through with relatively little friction, they're done).
4. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the lamb mixture and stir, then simmer with the lid on for another 15 minutes.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Carry on with your potatoes. Mash them until no chunks are left and stir through butter, milk and cream (use a hand blender if you want a smoother, creamier consistency). As far as butter, milk and cream go - you can add a little more of one or the other, however you prefer it, just don’t go too gooey, you want a relatively firm mash. Season the mash with salt and pepper.
6. When the lamb has been simmering with the lid on for about 30 minutes (the 15 minutes from step 2 plus the 15 minutes from step 4), remove the lid and continue to simmer until there is only a little sauce left.
7. In a bowl, mix the tablespoon of flour with the tablespoon of butter (this makes sure that the flour doesn't leave chunks in your sauce). When mixed, add it to your lamb mince and stir through over medium-high heat for a few more minutes until the remaining sauce has thickened. You don't want your meat to be soaking in broth, but it should still be a little juicy.
8. Place the meat it in an ovenproof dish large enough to hold all the lamb and all the potatoes. Spread the lamb mince over the dish as the bottom layer, then cover with the mashed potatoes. Some people like to sprinkle grated cheese over the potatoes, but trust me on this - it doesn't really add much to the dish, which is rich enough without it. Instead, I like to brush the potatoes with a little melted butter.
9. Stick the dish in the middle of the oven and leave for roughly 30 minutes, until the mash is golden brown.
Serve hot with a fresh, simple green salad.
