Shepherd's Pie
Geoff and I made this on Sunday, and had the leftovers on Monday, all because I was craving this dish after having a shepherd's pie tart when I was having tea with friends a few weeks ago. Awesome. If you've got leftover mashed potatoes from Turkey Day (or after Christmas in a few weeks), this is a good way to use them up.
From The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary edition, page 102-3).
If you've used Joy before, you know that ingredients are incorporated into the recipe, rather than listed at the beginning. Like Joy, I'm putting ingredients in bold, to make them stand out a little more.
Place in a large pot of cold water over medium heat:
1-1/2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered
Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato ricer or masher, adding the reserved cooking water along with:
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and white pepper to taste (we used black pepper)
Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400. Combine in a large skillet:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (we used a bunch of baby carrots)
1 celery rib, chopped
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add:
2 cups finely chopped cooked lamb or 1 pound raw ground lamb (we substituted ground sirloin)
If using cooked lamb, cook, stirring, until the meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes. If using raw lamb, cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the lamb loses its pink color, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon off excess fat. Stir in:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add:
3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Pinch of grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste
Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a greased 9-inch pie plate or 8x8-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making peaks with a fork. Scatter over the top:
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Bake until the potatoes are browned and the dish is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve directly from the baking dish.
Serves 4.
From The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary edition, page 102-3).
If you've used Joy before, you know that ingredients are incorporated into the recipe, rather than listed at the beginning. Like Joy, I'm putting ingredients in bold, to make them stand out a little more.
Place in a large pot of cold water over medium heat:
1-1/2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered
Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato ricer or masher, adding the reserved cooking water along with:
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and white pepper to taste (we used black pepper)
Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400. Combine in a large skillet:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (we used a bunch of baby carrots)
1 celery rib, chopped
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add:
2 cups finely chopped cooked lamb or 1 pound raw ground lamb (we substituted ground sirloin)
If using cooked lamb, cook, stirring, until the meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes. If using raw lamb, cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the lamb loses its pink color, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon off excess fat. Stir in:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add:
3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Pinch of grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste
Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a greased 9-inch pie plate or 8x8-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making peaks with a fork. Scatter over the top:
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Bake until the potatoes are browned and the dish is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve directly from the baking dish.
Serves 4.
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