Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

I first heard of a Shepherd's pie when I was visiting London and I liked it.  Later, when I was watching Gordon Ramsay on T.V.  he was making one.  So I decided to try making it myself since I have no British Pub near my home and no money to travel to London whenever I want to eat one.  

The Filling:

• Olive Oil (2 Tbsp)
• Ground Lamb or Beef (about 1.5 lbs)
• 1 Large Carrot (grated)
• 1 Large Onion (grated)
• Fresh Rosemary
• Fresh Thyme
• Minced Garlic (4 cloves)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce (several splashes)
• Tomato Puree or Paste (no more than a small can)

The Mash:

• Golden Potatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
• Heavy Cream ( 1/4 cup)
• Butter (3 1/2 Tbsp)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Egg Yolks (2)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup, minimum)

To cook the potatoes, peel them, dice then add to boiling pot of water with salt to taste. Cook for about 20 minutes, drain and then mashed them well.

Cooking the Filling:

Pour Olive Oil into a hot, rather large pan, then add meat. Stir meat as if your life depends on it for a few minutes so it’s nice and brown, and broken into very small pieces. Add your Rosemary, Thyme, and Garlic, then stir some more. Quickly add your Carrot, and Onion, stir a little longer. The idea at this point is to get everything to a minced consistency.

Add Worcestershire Sauce, stir, add Tomato Puree, stir, and sweat down for a minute or two.

Scoop your meat mixture into a deep casserole or other oven safe dish and then spoon the mash over the top. Spread the mash over the top of the mix with the bottom of the spoon and then sprinkle a generous portion of Parmesan cheese over the top. Poke the top with a fork several times to give it a peaked look and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes to brown the potatoes and set the pie. Serve.

Finished Product.

Using Gordon Ramsay's recipe above I made my own Shepherd's pie, which tastes almost as good as the original. Often I add in zucchini, summer squash or mushrooms to the meet filling for it to be healthier and tastier.