Shepherd's pie

 Hope you all had a good weekend. 

We had some birthday parties to go to.  Therefore we weren’t home much so I didn’t get much cooking done.  However, I did make dinner Friday evening.  Shepherd’s pie was on the menu.  It’s topped with yummy buttery mash and a real comfort dinner.  It’s a recipe I always follow.  I go by Tana Ramsay’s recipe which I got from her book “kitchen secrets”.  My sister gave it to me for my birthday one year.  It’s great because it’s quite a healthy family cook book.  Her shepherd’s pie is a hearty yummy version and here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil                                      1kg (2lb 4oz) minced lamb

Salt & pepper                                       2 tbsp tomato puree

1 large onion (finely chopped)               1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

3 carrots (finely chopped)                     leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs (finely chopped) 1 ½ tbsp gravy         Half courgette (finely chopped)              granules                                             

2 tbsp brown sauce                               Good dash of Worcestershire sauce

Tana adds 1 celery stalk finely chopped also, but I omit this.     

 For the mash:

2.25kg (5lb) Potatoes                           large knob of butter

Splash of milk                                       2 free range egg yolks

Recipe:

(I start by preparing my potatoes and putting them on to boil)

1.      Pour half the oil into frying pan on med heat.  Add lamb, season and brown.  Tip into colander to drain off the fat.

2.      Add remaining oil to pan on med heat and return lamb to pan.  Add tomato puree and stir to coat for 1-2 minutes.  Then mix in onion, garlic, carrots, (celery if using) and rosemary.  Season again and allow veg to soften.

3.      Mix the gravy granules with 600ml/1 pint boiling water, and then add it to the pan with the brown sauce.  Let the liquid simmer gently and reduce slightly, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce.  Leave to simmer gently for 20mins.  Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.  With 5 minutes to go, add the chopped courgette.

4.      Drain potatoes once cooked.  Return potatoes to their pan over a low heat for a few minutes, until all the steam has been driven off.  Mash with butter, milk and season.  Add the egg yolks (to help the topping colour well)) and stir rapidly.

5.      Place the lamb into a 2.5 litre (4 ½ pint) ovenproof dish and cover with the mash.  Fork the top gently to ensure a lovely crunchy topping.  Cook in oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling gently and golden brown with lovely crispy bits.