Classic Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd’s pie is made using ground lamb. Lamb was not something I ate a lot of in Canada. It was not all that easy to find although my late FIL raised lamb on his farm. It is probably the same as it is in most places.
You have a hard time finding things that are actually grown there because it usually gets shipped elsewhere. That’s why we end up eating California berries and BC apples, even though we have really good ones here in Nova Scotia. Its all down to trade agreements.
I remember the first time I went up to the Horseshoe Pass in Wales. I was amazed at all the sheep. They were everywhere. Dotting the hillsides, on the roads, etc.
I remember tip toe-ing through the grass trying to avoide their mess, not wanting to step on it. But there was no getting away from it, and really it doesn’t smell anyways. Not like others. You just had to give up after a while!
I use a bit of carrot in the mix with the meat and onions. This adds a little touch of sweetness and helps to get in a bit of extra veg. You could certainly add some celery if you wished or even grated turnips. Both would work well.
I also flavour the gravy with Worcestershire Sauce. It adds a lovely touch. You could add a splash of HP sauce as well if you liked, or even Ketchup but it is not really traditional if you do.
The thatch of potatoes on top is really nice and flavour filled as well. You will want to use a nice floury potato so that your mash is nice and light.
Don’t use new potatoes. Old potatoes work best. New Potatoes don’t mash properly. I made that mistake once at Thanksgiving when I was really young and didn’t know better. Are you familiar with the constency of glue? haha Yep, not very appealling in the least!
I have 20 years of lost time to make up for and I plan on doing just that for the remainder of my days. Making up for lost time. Building memories for those grands that are much more than a photograph or a face through a screen that they cannot touch!
That is the silver lining in all that I have been through lately. Being able to be with family and forge relationships with my grandchildren. That is the real gift. And I will never take it for granted, not ever.
I have sized this recipe down to generously serve just two people. There are quantities in the recipe for both two and four servings.
The larger servings are in brackets. I hope that it is easy to understand and not confusing. I tried to make it as easy as possible.
The cheese tastes really good and helps to get a really nice golden brown colour to the finished dish. I think something which is topped with golden brown anything automatically tastes even better.
We eat with our eyes first. Enjoy!
Shepherds Pie
- 2 tsp sunflower oil (1 TBS)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (1 medium onion)
- 1/2 medium carrot peeled and grated (1 medium carrot)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (1 clove)
- 1/2 pound lean minced lamb (1 pound)
- 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs (1 tsp)
- 2 tsp plain flour (1 TBS)
- 150ml (generous half cup) lamb or vegetable stock (300ml/1 1/4 cup)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (1 TBS)
- frozen peas (Optional)
- 1 pound floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (2 pounds)
- 2 TBS milk (4 TBS)
- 1 1/2 TBS butter (3 TBS)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 40g (1 1/2 oz) strong white cheddar cheese (50g/2 ounces)
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the onion and garlic in it until softened. Add the minced lamb and cook, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Stir in the carrot and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the flour and herbs. Gradually whisk in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until it bubbles and begins to thicken. Leave to simmer while you do the mash.
- Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 12 – 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5
- Return to the pot and shake over the residual heat of the burner to dry out. Mash well with a potato masher. Stir in the butter and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the lamb mixture. Pour into the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with a layer of frozen peas. Spoon the mash over top to cover, roughing the surface up with the back of a spoon or a fork. Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Spoon out onto heated plates to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
This was always one of my father’s favourite suppers! He is a simple man with simple tastes and not too hard to please so long as it is not too far out of the ordinary!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Debunking the myths of English Cookery, one recipe at a time.
The English Kitchen
http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/
Source: https://www.theenglishkitchen.co/2020/11/classic-shepherds-pie.html
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Looks delicious but I’m not a big fan of lamb how bout we substitute it for hamburger?