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Shepherd’s Pie

Name: Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients: 2.5 lb peeled russet potatoes (1200g); 350 g or about 2med onions (chopped); 200 g or 2-3 large carrots (medium diced); 200 g or 3-4 ribs celery (medium diced); 200 g or about ½ bulb fennel (medium diced); 20 g or 4-5 cloves garlic (chopped); 40 g or 3Tbsp olive oil; 3 lbs ground lamb (1.5kg , sub lean beef if you can't find lamb); salt; 250 g or 1c dry red wine (pinot noir, chianti, cab, etc…); 50 g or 3 ½ Tbsp tomato paste; 50 g or 2 ¾ Tbsp beef paste (better than bouillon if you can find it); 50 g or 3 ¾ Tbsp worcestershire; 2 g or 1t black pepper; 2 g or 2t fresh thyme (chopped); 25 g or 3 ½ Tbsp all purpose flour (sub gf flour or corn starch); 450 g or 1 3/4c beef stock (sub chicken); 15 g or 1/4c parsley (chopped); 150 g or 1 1/4c frozen peas; 115 g unsalted butter (1 stick, melted); 125 g or 3/4c heavy cream; 125 g or 1/2c sour cream; 125 g or 1c grated parmesan; 3 egg yolks

In this recipe, I’ll address some technical mistakes that take Shepherd’s Pie from being good to really realllllly good.

Ingredients

2.5 lb peeled russet potatoes, 1200g
350 g or about 2med onions, chopped
200 g or 2-3 large carrots, medium diced
200 g or 3-4 ribs celery, medium diced
200 g or about ½ bulb fennel, medium diced
20 g or 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
40 g or 3Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs ground lamb, 1.5kg , sub lean beef if you can't find lamb
salt
250 g or 1c dry red wine, pinot noir, chianti, cab, etc…
50 g or 3 ½ Tbsp tomato paste
50 g or 2 ¾ Tbsp beef paste, better than bouillon if you can find it
50 g or 3 ¾ Tbsp worcestershire
2 g or 1t black pepper
2 g or 2t fresh thyme, chopped
25 g or 3 ½ Tbsp all purpose flour, sub gf flour or corn starch
450 g or 1 3/4c beef stock, sub chicken
15 g or 1/4c parsley, chopped
150 g or 1 1/4c frozen peas
115 g unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
125 g or 3/4c heavy cream
125 g or 1/2c sour cream
125 g or 1c grated parmesan
3 egg yolks

Instructions

Add potatoes to a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 30-40min or until a knife or cake tester doesn’t meet resistance when inserted.
Drain and pass through a potato ricer. Stir in melted butter, cream, sour cream, parm, and two very large pinches of salt. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. Stir in egg yolks.
Click here for my full recipe for creamy potato puree.
Toss all cut veggies together in a bowl.
Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over high. When hot, add olive oil and ground lamb and break apart while cooking. It should take about 5 minutes for the water to cook off then 5-10 more minutes to brown meat.
When meat has begun to take on color and brown fond is forming in the bottom of the pot, add veggies and 1Tbsp 15g of salt. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 more min until veg has begun to soften.
Add wine to deglaze pot, scraping up fond on the bottom. Stir in tomato paste, bouillon, worcestershire, and black pepper.
Once wine is mostly reduced, stir in thyme and flour. Cook until bottom of the pot glazes up with fond again, then add stock. Bring to a simmer then cover and lower heat to medium low to simmer until sauce is reduced by half and veggies are tender, about 10 min.
Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed.
Off heat, stir in parsley and peas.
Scoop filling into a 9″x13″ (23cm x 33cm) baking dish. Press into dish and smooth to create an even layer.
Spoon mashed potato mixture over the top and spread into even layer. Use a spoon or knife to create a rough texture on top of the potatoes. You’re creating texture that will brown and get crisp here. Feel free to be creative.
Top with parmesan cheese.
Place baking dish on a sheet tray and bake in a preheated 425F/220C oven for 25min.
After 25 min, move dish under a high broiler for a minute or so until top is golden and crusty – keep an eye during broiling because potatoes can burn quickly.