Shepherd's Pie
This classic British pub food is another winter masterpiece, and the thick mince sauce really hits the spot. Make with beef mince/stock for a cottage pie. A nothern delicacy in the UK is to substitute the potatoes for suet dumplings, if that's more to your liking!
Ingredients:
500 grams minced lamb
2 carrots, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
15 grams plain flour
800 millilitres lamb or beef stock
15 millilitres Worcestershire sauce
1 kilogram potatoes (I only use Maris Pipers)
50 grams butter
50 millilitres whole milk
4 sprigs fresh thyme
150 millilitres red wine (or a red wine stock cube)
Method:
Remove your thyme leaves from the sprigs, finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery (this is called a mirepoix, or soffritto, for the cultured).
Peel the potatoes and soak them in a pan of cold water to prevent browning. I tend to halve or third them, depending on size.
Make up your stock(s) with boiling water.
Get the mince into a cold, heavy-bottomed pan with a splash of olive oil.
Add a heavy pinch of salt and black pepper and turn the heat up to high.
Once the mince is browned, add the fresh thyme and cook for one minute.
Add the vegetables, turn down the heat a tad, and sweat these off for 10 minutes.
Stir every so often - don't let things stick and burn.
Add in your red wine or red wine stock and scrape the caramelised fond from the bottom of the pan.
This makes the food taste Extra Good -- the wine will also help.
Stir in the flour, and cook out for 1-2 minutes.
You'll be able to see a slight colour change in the meat, and you'll stop smelling raw flour.
Stir in the stock and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat right down to a simmer.
I like to do this with the lid off to keep an eye on the consistency as it reduces.
Meanwhile, potatoes. We're going to boil them, and then mash them. The stew is in a different recipe.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (electric fan oven, adjust as suits you), and get your potatoes into a pan of cold, salted water.
Set the pan over a high heat and cook for 35 minutes, depending on the size.
They're done when a knife can slide through them with little to no resistance.
Remove to a colander and allow to steam-dry.
Mash the potatoes (I like to use a potato ricer) and add the butter and milk, continuing to mash or whisk until smooth.
Make sure you keep an eye on your mince during this timeyou want a saucy, thick consistency.
Add your Worcestershire sauce and taste for seasoning - you may want to add extra salt, pepper, or Worcestershire, depending on your tastes.
Fill your cooking vessel with the mince -- I used some smaller pie dishes, you may want to make a family-style pie in a casserole or larger pie dish.
Spoon your mashed potatoes on top.
Using a fork, style the mashed potatoes into a mohawk.
You want to drag the potato to a point, leaving deep grooves.
These will add extra surface area and lead to nice browning in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes or so, at which point either (a) the potatoes will be nice and golden brown, or (b) you're too hungry at this point to care.
Bon appetit!
