Shepherd's Pie

Name: Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: United Kingdom and Ireland
Ingredients: 800 g (1¾ lb) ground lamb; 6 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt, divided; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, finely diced; 2 celery sticks, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 400 ml (1⅔ cups) lamb, beef or chicken stock, Brown Stock or store-bought; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 sprigs thyme or rosemary, leaves chopped; 100 g (¾ cup) frozen peas; freshly ground black pepper; 1¼ kg (2½ lb) floury potatoes, peeled, in chunks; 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter; 100 ml (scant ½ cup) whole milk, warm; 1 egg yolk; 40 g (⅓ cup) mature cheddar, grated, optional; fine sea salt, for the potato water and to taste

Rich minced lamb under a ruffled, golden mashed-potato crust

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 50 min
Total: 1 h 45 min
Level: Easy

Shepherd's pie is made with lamb (with beef it's cottage pie). Minced lamb is browned hard, then simmered with vegetables, stock and a little Worcestershire until rich and thick, before a layer of buttery mashed potato goes on and the whole thing bakes until the ridges crisp.

Ingredients

Filling

800 gground lamb (1¾ lb)
6 gfine sea salt (1 tsp)divided
1 tbspneutral oil
1onionfinely chopped
2carrotsfinely diced
2celery sticksfinely diced
2 clovesgarlicchopped
2 tbsptomato paste
2 tbspall-purpose flour
400 mllamb, beef or chicken stock (1⅔ cups)Brown Stock or store-bought
1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
2 sprigsthyme or rosemaryleaves chopped
100 gfrozen peas (¾ cup)
freshly ground black pepper

Topping

1¼ kgfloury potatoes (2½ lb)peeled, in chunks
60 gunsalted butter (4 tbsp)
100 mlwhole milk (scant ½ cup)warm
1egg yolk
40 gmature cheddar (⅓ cup)grated, optional
fine sea saltfor the potato water and to taste

Allergens: gluten, milk, egg, celery, fish
Origin: United Kingdom and Ireland
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Heat the oil in a large wide pan over high heat. Add the lamb and 4 g salt, spread it out and leave it for 3 minutes to brown before breaking it up. Cook until well browned and crumbly, 8–10 minutes total. Spoon off excess fat, leaving 1 tbsp. 10 min
Lower to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft, 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the flour. 10 min
Add the stock, Worcestershire and thyme and the remaining salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring now and then, until thick and glossy, 20–25 minutes. Stir in the peas and taste for seasoning. Spread in a 2.5–3 liter baking dish (about 20 × 30 cm) and cool slightly. 22 min
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until very tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain, steam dry 2 minutes, then mash with the butter, milk and egg yolk (Mashed Potatoes). Season well. 18 min
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Spoon the mash over the filling, starting at the edges to seal. Rough up the surface with a fork into ridges. Scatter with cheese.
Bake on a sheet pan until bubbling at the edges and deep golden on the ridges, 25–30 minutes. The filling should be at least 71°C (160°F) in the center (well above if cooked from hot). Rest 10 minutes. 28 min

Why it works

Browning the lamb hard rather than stewing it in its own liquid creates the deep, roasted flavor the filling depends on; leaving it untouched for the first few minutes lets a crust form. Flour and a long simmer reduce the sauce so it's thick enough not to flood the potato. Egg yolk in the mash helps the ridges set and brown.

Common mistakes

Gray, steamed ground lamb. Use a hot, wide pan and don't stir too soon.
A runny filling that bubbles through the potato. Simmer until it's thick.
Bland mash. Season the potato well — it's half the dish.

Variations

Cottage pie: Use ground beef and beef stock.
Root topping: Replace a third of the potatoes with parsnip or celeriac.

Make ahead and storage

Assemble, cool and refrigerate up to 2 days; bake from cold at 190°C (375°F) for 45 minutes until 74°C (165°F) in the center. Freezes for 3 months.

Notes

Worcestershire contains anchovy; leave it out if needed.