Shepherd’s pie
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This is definitely a trip back home for me, both in distance and time. Shepherd’s pie is one of those dishes that was a staple growing up in the beautiful county of Derbyshire. It’s not an elegant, upscale dish, but it is comfort food at it’s finest.
I am sure that recipes may vary, but this is how I remember having this as a child, and I’ve tweaked this recipe to suit to my taste.
For the mashed potatoes, I have suggested an amount, but if you prefer cream, buttermilk, butter, or simply salt and pepper, please make it to your preference. For mine, I use cream, butter, salt and pepper, and a generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg. Amounts of liquid are dependent on the type of potatoes used.
As the name should suggest, this is made with ground lamb - hence the shepherd part. If you aren’t a fan of lamb, you can substitute beef. However, if you do that it becomes Cottage Pie.
Note: no shepherds were harmed in the making of this dish.
Shepherd’s pie
Shepherd's pie
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2lb ground lamb
1 tbs oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 carrots, finely diced
5 celery stalks, finely diced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tbs rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine*
1 cup chicken stock
8 cups prepared mashed potatoes
*If you don’t want to use wine, you can increase the amount of chicken stock to substitute.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the onions, celery and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Add the lamb and cook over medium heat until browned.
Add the salt, pepper, rosemary and minced garlic, and stir to combine.
Turn the heat to high, and add the wine, stirring until the wine reduces by half.
Add the chicken stock and turn the heat down to a simmer and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour the ground lamb mix into a large baking dish and top with the prepared mashed potato.
Place the baking dish into the oven for 30 minutes. The potato topping should have taken on a golden colour, and the filling should be bubbling.
Serve with vegetables of your choice.
