February 22, 2010: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie most likely came about as a thrifty way to use the leftovers from Sunday dinner. What the British created was the quintessential leftover masterpiece. Traditionally made with cooked roast lamb, you can substitute cooked fresh ground lamb with satisfactory results. I served it regularly in my days as chef of an executive dining room; the English-born CEO was especially appreciative. The following recipe is from one of Craig Claiborne's New York Times compilations.

SHEPHERD'S PIE
From "The New York Times Cookbook" 1990 Revised Edition

1 pound cooked roast lamb, cut up into 1/4-inch pieces
OR
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb, cooked and drained of fat
2 T butter
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 T fresh parsley, minced
3 T flour
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine or stock
1 1/2 cups stock
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup steamed fresh corn kernels (or frozen)
2 or more cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Additional minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the onions have softened. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour. Rapidly whisk in the tomato paste, wine, stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pepper and cooked meat. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Pour the meat mixture into a buttered casserole. Gently and evenly spread the mashed potatoes on top; sprinkle with grated Gruyere. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the casserole is piping hot and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional minced parsley before serving.

*Tip! When preparing the mashed potatoes for Shepherd's Pie, I usually add a little more liquid to lighten them slightly thereby making the mixture easier to spread.

*Tip! If you are using fresh lamb, cook it in the same saucepan (or skillet) that you're going to use for the rest of the recipe. Note: Remember to drain the fat before proceeding with the rest of the recipe!

*Try ground turkey in place of the lamb.