Shepherds Pie

2h 32m
Serves 4
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Directions

  1. 1Unwrap the minced lamb.
  2. 2Add olive oil to a medium-high pan.
  3. 3Place the minced lamb into the pan.
  4. 4Season the lamb with salt and pepper.
  5. 5Cook the lamb, breaking it up with a potato masher, until the water cooks out and it starts to caramelize (approximately 7 minutes).
  6. 6Dice one onion.
  7. 7Dice a carrot.
  8. 8Dice a stick of celery.
  9. 9Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the cooked lamb in the pan.
  10. 10Stir and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
  11. 11Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  12. 12Remove the leaves from fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme.
  13. 13Finely chop the fresh herbs.
  14. 14Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and the chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf) to the pan, and mix to combine.
  15. 15Open a bottle of red wine.
  16. 16Deglaze the pan with 250ml of red wine and allow the wine to reduce for 2 minutes.
  17. 17Pour in 300ml of lamb, beef, or chicken stock.
  18. 18Simmer on low for an hour until the mixture is thick and delicious.
  19. 19Add frozen peas to the filling and stir to combine.
  20. 20Transfer the cooked lamb mince filling to a baking dish and spread it evenly.
  21. 21Peel potatoes using a potato peeler.
  22. 22Place the peeled potatoes into a pot of water.
  23. 23Chop the peeled potatoes.
  24. 24Boil the chopped potatoes until very tender (approximately 12 minutes).
  25. 25Strain the boiled potatoes.
  26. 26Transfer the drained potatoes to a bowl.
  27. 27Season the potatoes with sea salt and black pepper.
  28. 28Add a few knobs of butter to the potatoes.
  29. 29Add grated cheddar and parmigiano cheese to the potatoes.
  30. 30Mash the potatoes until smooth.
  31. 31Add a dash of milk to the mashed potatoes and combine.
  32. 32Once the mashed potatoes have cooled a little, add two egg yolks and mix thoroughly.
  33. 33Top the cooled lamb mince in the baking dish with the mashed potato, smoothing it out evenly.
  34. 34Score a few lines on the mashed potato topping with a fork.
  35. 35Grate more parmigiano cheese over the top of the pie.
  36. 36Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until the top is crisp.
  37. 37Remove the shepherd's pie from the oven.
  38. 38Finely chop chives or parsley for garnish.
  39. 39Garnish the baked shepherd's pie with the chopped herbs.
  40. 40Serve a portion of the shepherd's pie onto a plate.

Ingredients

  • 500 g minced lamb
  • EV olive oil
  • 1 finely diced onion
  • 1 finely diced carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 bunch fresh herbs
  • 250 ml red wine
  • 300 ml lamb, beef or chicken stock
  • frozen peas
  • 1 KG maris piper potatoes
  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • knobs butter
  • dash milk
  • grated cheddar
  • parmigiano
  • 2 egg yolks

Equipment

pantongsknifecutting boardpotato masherpotstrainerbaking dishfork

Tips

  • Let the cooked mince cool before adding it to the baking dish.
  • Let the Shepherd's Pie rest for 20 minutes before slicing after baking.
  • If using beef instead of lamb, it's called a cottage pie.
  • Scoring the mashed potato with a fork before baking helps create a crisp top.
  • Add two egg yolks to the mashed potato once it has cooled slightly.
  • Use fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf for the filling.
  • Deglaze the pan with red wine and allow it to reduce for 2 minutes.
  • Simmer the filling on low for an hour until thick and delicious.
  • Peel and boil potatoes until very tender, about 12 minutes.
  • Season mashed potatoes with sea salt, black pepper, butter, milk, cheddar, and parmigiano.
  • Grate more parmigiano over the top of the pie before baking for a crisp finish.
  • Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes or until the top is crisp.
  • The mashed potato should be super soft and the lamb filling ultra rich.
  • This recipe is a simple but big and effective mid-week dinner for 4 people.
  • Inspired by @gordongram's recipe strategy for this dish.
  • This dish features lamb with a mashed potato topping and can be varied by using beef instead of lamb for a cottage pie.

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