Shepherd's pie
Shepherd's Pie is a dish made in England that consists of a savoury mince (ground lamb or beef) in gravy bottom topped with mashed potato and baked in an oven to brown. The mince is traditionally lamb (hence "shepherd") although many people prefer to make it with beef mince. Technically, a shepherd's pie made with beef mince is called a cottage pie.
Recipe
- onion 1 large or 2 small
- Minced lamb or beef 1lb
- Powdery old potatoes e.g.king edwards 3lb
- Gravy granules [Or very thick gravy]
- Mixed herbs
- A handful of mixed veg eg. corn or carrots optional
Brown the mince in a fying pan. Do not add oil, mince is fatty enough. Chop a couple of onions, and lightly fry in a little butter until clear. Add the onions to the mince along with some mixed herbs, and pepper. Cover with water (or use meat stock and omit the gravy later, thickening instead with cornflour) and simmer for 30 mins. Meanwhile peel, chop and boil the potatoes for 20 mins until cooked.
Once the meat is cooked, skim off the excess fat then boil rapidly to reduce the liquid until it just covers the mince and onions. Thicken the water with gravy granules [It should be very thick]. Alternatively, drain off all the water and add thick homemade gravy
Drain the potatos very well until completely dry. Mash with a masher until smooth and free of any lumps. Add butter, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add enough milk to make the mash very soft. (Heavy mash will not float properly on top of the mince). Note: adding the butter and milk to the potatoes before they are properly mashed is the best way to make lumpy mash
Put mince mixture in a shallow ovenproof dish. Spread mash on top and spike the top with a fork. Cook in a hot oven for about 30-50 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve with peas or beans.
