Shepherd's Pie Recipe with Lamb

As kids we’d get Shepherd’s Pie with beef.  Actually, it should be with lamb.  Shepherd: Sheppard's Pie with Lamb … get it? 

Shepherds take care of lambs, right!?  In actuality, Cottage Pie is what one would call the 'all beef' pie of the same nature.

So, my recipe contains both ground beef and ground lamb.  Some don’t fancy lamb.  (Some don't fancy pork.)

But this recipe still tastes like lamb but not a terribly strong a taste.

Please note, what I lack in culinary expertise, I make up in confidence and enthusiasm!

I’ll get on with it:

Ingredients For Shepherd's Pie Recipe With Lamb and Pork

1 Tablespoon of (I use Ghee-it handles heat better)  And I really use more than one tablespoon.  Some of the ingredients soak up the butter

1 Teaspoon Black pepper

1 pound ground lamb (or so)

1 pound of ground beef (or bison if you can get it)

1 large onion finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

Thyme

Glass of red wine

2 Tablespoons of tomato paste

2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons of flour (or so)

1 Cup Chicken stock.  I use a beef stock as that’s what I have. A powdered bone broth.  You can see the photo in the image section.

Lots of mashed potatoes- you will need more than you think

1 Beaten Egg

Grated Asiage or some hard cheese

Salt to taste

And now…for the actual Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Steam a large amount of potatoes while you are doing everything else.  I never peel the potatoes.  Some would find this offensive.  I like to get all the nourishment that I can.  And flavour.

1. I chop a couple of large carrots finely and sauté for a while in Ghee.  I do these first because it takes a while to soften them.
2. Remove carrots and sauté the onions.
3. Remove the onions.
4. Add the meat and cook till brown.  Some recipes call for removing the fat once cooked.  I never do.  There is way too much flavour there.  If things are too watery add a bit more flour later.  Season with Thyme and Pepper while cooking
5. Add Peas, Corn and Carrots. Stir
6. Add tomato paste, wine, and Worcestershire sauce
7. Reduce a bit then add stock.
8. You can add some salt anywhere along the line.
9. Simmer until it is thick enough for your taste or you just can’t wait any longer because the smells are driving you crazy.
10. Spoon the mixture into one or two glass dishes. 
11. In there somewhere you have mashed the potatoes.  With lots of butter, milk or cream and salt.
12. Spoon the mashed potatoes to cover the meat mixture.  Hopefully, you have enough potatoes to make a nice thick cover.
13. Whisk an egg and baste the potato.
14. Grate some hard cheese over the egg.
15. Place in an oven for 20 minutes at 350

And now you are ready for dinner!

Remove from the oven, let sit for a few to let cool so that you don't burn your tongue!.

Don’t ignore the fact that you now have an open bottle of wine.

The Joy of Creating - Cooking

Cooking give me great pleasure.  Like I said earlier I’m not a culinary genius but I am pretty good at following directions!  And I truly love food. Because restaurants never compare to the flavours from cooking at home.

You will notice in this particular iteration of my Lamb Shepherd’s Pie, I kind of over filled the dish.  I should have had more potato which would have worked better with one large dish with one of the smaller ones to handle everything.

Please let me know if you do try the Shepherd’s Pie recipe!

Here is a link with a few more recipes with New Zealand Lamb