This Is How to Make Shepherd’s Pie as Good as Your Mom’s
We ask you — is there any other meal that takes you back to your childhood more than a large plate of shepherd’s pie with creamy mashed potato and rich, meaty gravy? This hearty meal is like a cashmere blanket and a pair of wool socks — just waiting to envelope you in comfort. In fact, why not grab those socks and the blanket, and curl up in front of the TV with a plate of this tonight. Shepherd’s pie, Grey’s Anatomy and a large glass of wine? Heaven.
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
- — 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- — 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- — 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- — 1 pound ground lamb (15-20% fat)
- — 1 teaspoon salt
- — ½ teaspoon black pepper
- — 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- — 3 beef or lamb stock cubes
- — ¼ cup heavy cream
- — 2 Tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- — 1 heaped Tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions:
1. Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water so the water is about one inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions on medium heat for five minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add in the ground lamb and cook for five to ten minutes until browned. Stir the lamb every so often and break up any large chunks with your spatula.
4. Once browned, add ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Crumble in the stock cubes and stir everything together.
5. By this time, the potatoes should be cooked. Drain the potatoes, reserving two cups of the cooking water. Pour the cooking water in with the ground lamb and leave to simmer.
6. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or ricer until no lumps remain, then stir in the cream, butter and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Put to one side.
7. Mix the cornstarch with two Tablespoons of cold water and stir into the ground lamb mixture. This will thicken the sauce. You many need to add a little more cornstarch depending on the amount of liquid in your pan.
8. Once thickened, turn off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ground lamb into a deep 7 x 9-inch baking dish. The slotted spoon should ensure most of the gravy is left behind in the pan but the ground lamb mixture is still moist. Flatten out the ground lamb and top with spoonfuls of the mashed potato. Ensure all of the lamb is covered, then swirl the mashed potato slightly with a spoon or fork. This gives an uneven texture to the mash to ensure you get more crispy bits.
9. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the mashed potato is golden brown. Take out of the oven, then leave to rest for five minutes while you reheat the gravy in the skillet.
10. Serve the shepherd’s pie with the gravy and steamed vegetables.
Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water so the water is about one inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions on medium heat for five minutes until they start to soften.
Add in the ground lamb and cook for five to ten minutes until browned. Stir the lamb every so often and break up any large chunks with your spatula.
Once browned, add ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Crumble in the stock cubes and stir everything together.
By this time, the potatoes should be cooked. Drain the potatoes, reserving two cups of the cooking water. Pour the cooking water in with the ground lamb and leave to simmer.
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or ricer until no lumps remain, then stir in the cream, butter and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Put to one side.
Mix the cornstarch with two Tablespoons of cold water and stir into the ground lamb mixture. This will thicken the sauce. You many need to add a little more cornstarch depending on the amount of liquid in your pan.
Once thickened, turn off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ground lamb into a deep 7 x 9-inch baking dish. The slotted spoon should ensure most of the gravy is left behind in the pan but the ground lamb mixture is still moist. Flatten out the ground lamb and top with spoonfuls of the mashed potato. Ensure all of the lamb is covered, then swirl the mashed potato slightly with a spoon or fork. This gives an uneven texture to the mash to ensure you get more crispy bits.
Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the mashed potato is golden brown. Take out of the oven, then leave to rest for five minutes while you reheat the gravy in the skillet.
Serve the shepherd’s pie with the gravy and steamed vegetables.
Do you have a favorite meal that reminds you of your childhood? We’d love to know!
