...because it's National Pie Day? But I don't really honor my favorite dessert until Pi Day a few months from now😉
Shepherds Pie is humble food. Comfort food. It isn't particularly pretty, because its job is to feed many with simple basic ingredients. As such, it was a good meal to learn as a young mom with a growing family.
It turned out to also be a transitional dish in my amateur chef/professional hausfrau journey. I no longer remember what recipe I started out using for shepherds pie (probably the one in this cookbook vintage 1989), but one pivotal time I wanted to make it I didn't have access to my cookbooks. I searched the web for a recipe and chose one based on the beautiful photo and the fact it acknowledged the use of lamb as traditional, but allowed for the more common use of ground beef.
You can view this recipe here. All I could think as I began making our dinner was, "this better be worth all these extra steps I've never had to do with my go-to recipe." You can probably guess - it WAS!! Even with a necessary substitution of an ingredient it was the best-tasting Shepherds Pie I had ever had other than in a pub. "Serious Eats," indeed! Daniel Gritzer, you're the living embodiment of the spirit of Remington from Ratatouille!
There ARE extra ingredients, and extra steps it's not a quick weeknight dish...but the layers of flavor you will achieve are completely worth your effort. {My adjustments are in brackets}
Shepherd's Pie, as told by Daniel Gritzer
(Serious Eats.com)
INGREDIENTS
For the mashed potatoes...
3 1/2 pounds (1.6kg) russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cubed
For the meat filling...
1 1/2 cups (360ml) low-sodium chicken stock {yes, chicken stock in a beef dish - *I always use regular sodium}
2 packets unflavored gelatin (about 5 teaspoons; 1/2 ounce; 14g)
2 tablespoons (30ml) oil of your choice (I use canola)
2 1/2 pounds (1kg) ground beef or lamb {I use either beef or venison}
1 large yellow onion (about 14 ounces; 400g), diced
3 medium carrots (about 8 ounces; 225g), diced
2 ribs celery (about 4 ounces; 110g), diced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (30ml) tomato paste
1 cup (240ml) dry red wine {feel free to use beef broth if you need/want}
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) Marmite (optional) {this type of addition makes the dish, but I use 1t Better Than Bouillon Vegetable as a similar substitute}
2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
8 ounces (225g) frozen peas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For assembly...
1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for topping (optional) {parm is never optional in our house}
DIRECTIONS
For the mashed potatoes: Set cubed potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Season water with salt until almost as salty as the sea. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife easily pierces potatoes with no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, then rinse with hot running water for 30 seconds. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.
Using a potato masher, food mill, or ricer, mash potatoes with butter. Press surface smooth, then press plastic wrap directly against surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside until ready to assemble. Preheat oven to 425F
For the meat sauce: Place chicken stock in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, sprinkle with gelatin, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add half of ground meat and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes; use a potato masher or large whisk to break up meat. Add remaining meat and cook, breaking up with masher or whisk, until reduced to small bits, about 3 minutes; lower heat as necessary to prevent scorching. If meat has rendered an excessive amount of fat, use a metal spoon to ladle most of it out, leaving just a few tablespoons in the pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until just beginning to soften slightly, about 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add red wine and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until almost fully evaporated. Add reserved chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire, and Marmite, if using. Sprinkle flour over ground meat in pot, then stir in. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is reduced and thick, about 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble and bake: Heat cream before stirring into the mashed potatoes. Stir well and salt and pepper to taste.
Set a 9- by 13-inch baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Add meat sauce, being careful not to fill more than halfway. (You might not need all of the sauce, depending on the exact size of your baking dish.) Top with mashed potatoes, spreading them with a spatula to cover surface completely. Using spatula, create a dappled pattern on top of potatoes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. {I've always been able to fit all of the filling with room for potatoes *see photo}
Transfer to oven and bake until top is browned and casserole is fully heated through, about 20 minutes. For deeper browning, place casserole on a rack set about 6 inches under a hot broiler for the last few moments of cooking. (Monitor closely to prevent potatoes from burning.)
Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Casserole can be assembled, wrapped with plastic, and refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 35 minutes, then use broiler to brown top.
We usually just serve this up in bowls and enjoy bread with it to clean up the sauce - but something nice and savory like this would be well-balanced by a vinaigrette salad.
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