Shepherd's Pie
- 2 lb (900g) baking potatoes, peeled and chunked
- 2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, split lengthwise, sliced
- 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
- 4 tbsp butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lb (750g) ground lamb
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1/3 cup hearty red wine
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup lamb or beef stock
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- To make the topping, boil the potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted water until almost tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the leeks and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
- Drain well and return to the saucepan.
- Mash the potatoes and leeks together.
- Return to low heat and stir in the milk and butter.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
- Cook the lamb in a large frying pan for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat, until lightly browned.
- Pour off the fat.
- Transfer the lamb to a bowl.
- Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the carrots.
- Return the lamb to the frying pan.
- Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated.
- Stir in the flour, then the stock, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the filling in a baking dish and cover with the potato topping.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
- Let stand 5 minutes, then serve straight from the dish.
- Variation
- Cottage Pie
- Virtually the same dish made with beef, rather than lamb.
- For a cottage pie, follow the recipe above, but substitute ground round for the lamb, 1 cup fresh or frozen peas for the carrots, and thyme for the rosemary.
- If you wish, omit the leeks from the topping and stir 2 tbsp prepared horseradish into the potatoes instead
leeks, milk, butter, salt, ground lamb, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, carrots, hearty red wine, flour, lamb, parsley, worcestershire sauce, rosemary
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/shepherds-pie (may not work)