Shepherd's Pie

This is a traditional British dish that was initially made with leftover meat from the Sunday roast, either beef or lamb, and sometimes called Cottage Pie. You can use leftover cooked meat if you like; mince it, add the seasonings, and add it to the finished garlic, onion, carrot mixture. You can do all the preparation work ahead of time and then complete the final baking when you are ready to eat.

 

SERVES 4 TO 6

 

Ingredients:

FOR THE MASHED POTATO TOPPING:

4 medium or 5 small russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half

2 to 4 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

FOR THE VEGETABLE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup carrot, minced

½ cup onion, minced

2 tablespoons flour

¾ cup beef bouillon, warmed

 

FOR THE MEAT FILLING:

1½ pounds uncooked ground beef or lamb; alternatively, leftover cooked beef or lamb, minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon rosemary

½ teaspoon thyme

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

. . . . . . . .

 

Instructions:

▪ Put potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Continue to cook 15 to 20 minutes until a fork pierces them easily. Drain thoroughly. Mash with a potato masher or fork and mix in 2 tablespoons each of butter and milk, then add salt and pepper to taste. Use a fork for the mixing, and be careful not to overmix or you will get paste instead of fluffy potatoes. Add more butter and milk if you need a thinner texture. Set aside.

 

▪ Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan on low heat and add the garlic, carrot and onion. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and continue to cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat and add the bouillon. Return to medium heat and while stirring occasionally, cook a few minutes until it thickens. Set aside.

 

▪ Brown the meat in a frying pan on medium heat, adding the rest of the seasonings about half way through the cooking. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the meat, leaving the fat behind, and add the meat to the vegetable sauce, stirring to combine the mixture. If you are using leftover cooked meat add it at this point to the vegetables.

 

▪ Butter a casserole dish and add the meat mixture. Top with the potatoes, again using a fork to handle them as gently as possible. You want the potatoes to cover the meat, but the topping should be ragged and not smooth so parts of it will brown more than others. Cover and refrigerate if not cooking right away, but an hour before cooking let come back to room temperature.

 

▪ Bake in an oven preheated to 350˚ F for 45 minutes.