Monday night, Deb usually cooks dinner, because that is her day off. Tonight we had awesome enchiladas. But Monday night is also often a cooking night for me. Tuesday's she works late, so I try to have something we can make ahead of time that my mother-in-law can just throw in the oven or heat up for the boys.
Tonight, I decided on Shepherd's Pie! I don't think the kids have ever had it, and I have had a hankering ever since Deb ordered it at the Horse and Hounds Public House back in February. Everybody (if you know your way around the kitchen anyway) knows that real Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb. My wife is not a big fan of lamb in most cases, but she does like Shepard's Pie. My main concern was my sons - I doubt that lamb would sit well with them... On the other hand, I feel like Cottage Pie (the all-beef version) is not that great. Time to re-work a classic recipe!!!
I opted for a 50-50 mix of lamb and beef - enough lamb to provide the richer character, but not so much a dominant, strong lamb flavor. I am pretty crappy when it comes to writing down my recipes, because I mostly cook "by feel", but here goes:
Potato Topping
2 lbs boiled potatoes
~2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter
~1/4 c half-and-half
~1/4 c sour cream
~2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
Meat Filling
1/2 lb cubed lamb (lean lamb roast)
1/2 lb cubed beef (lean beef roast)
1 1/2 c chopped carrots
1 1/2 c chopped celery
1 c chopped yam
1 c chopped onion
2 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1/2 c seasoned flour (see below)
2 Tbsp beef bouillon powder (or 2 c beef broth
1/2 t crushed/chopped rosemary
1 t crushed savory
1 t crushed thyme
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 pt Guinness or other dry Irish stout
Seasoned Flour
1/2 c flour
1/2 t crushed/chopped rosemary
1/2 t crushed savory
1/2 t crushed thyme
1/2 t seasoned salt (Lawry's or other)
1/2 t ground black pepper
1) Mash the potatoes with all of the potato topping ingredients. Add the half-and-half a little at a time - you want these potatoes to be much stiffer than typical mashed potatoes. The sour cream helps smooth them out and keep them creamy with less liquid. Set aside or refrigerate.
2) Heat the oil in a large stew pot over medium/medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add all of the vegetables. Stir the veggies to coat in oil; stir occasionally as they cook.
3) While the vegetables cook, put the seasoned flour in a bowl. Add the cubed meat, and toss to coat well. Hint: if you start with slightly frozen roast, it cubes up nicely.
4) Once the veggies have softened up a bit (check the carrots and yams - about 3-4 minutes, about the length of time it takes to coat the meat cubes) - not mushy, but not as hard as when they were first put in - add the floured meat cubes and anything left in the bowl. Again, give it a good stir to coat.
5) Continue to cook this mixture until the meat is seared/browned, stirring occasionally.
7) Once the meat is browned, stir in the seasonings and the stout.
8) Add the bouillon (plus water to cover) or the beef broth.
9) Simmer over low heat until the mixture thickens to a stew-like consistency.
10) Layer the meat mixture on the bottom of a large casserole.
11) Spread the potato mixture evenly over the top of the meat mixture, being sure that they are sealed well around the edge (this helps to keep the sauce from boiling out onto the top of the potatoes). Use a spoon or a fork to make scallops or peaks on top of the potatoes - these will brown up as the pie bakes!
12) Preheat oven to 400°. Bake the pie until the potato peaks are golden-brown - about 30 minutes.
** Don't you dare let any cheese anywhere near your Shepherd's Pie! Although I have probably taken some liberties with the authentic British Isles version (like the yams), I have stayed true to the spirit and style of this hearty dish...
This was a total winner! Tuesday night, Jordan had thirds and Brandon had seconds. There were no leftovers! The stout, along with the increased dose of spices (I usually just season the flour), added a richness that made up for the smaller portion of lamb.
No comments:
Post a Comment