shepherd's pie

Shepherd's Pie
Created by Dave with inspiration from Alton Brown

This dish, also known as cottage pie and with greater license as Hachis Pamerntier (generally similar a French dish of potatoes and leftover beef stew), combines diced or ground beef or lamb (or both, as in the following recipe) in a savory sauce, covered with mashed potatoes.  Its origins appear to lie in (northern?) England or possibly Scotland in the 17th or possibly 18th century, First known in England as cottage pie in the late 18th century, it acquired its more common modern name in Victorian times, possibly as early as 1854.  There are numerous variations, mostly under different names, in various non-English speaking countries,  but it's tasty and easy to make anywhere you can get red meat, potatoes, and a few veggies.  Even red meat isn't a strict requirement, as broadly similar dishes are made with chicken (Indonesia, pastel tutup) and fish (England, fish pie).
:

Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
45 min
 

Yield:
8 servings
 

For the mashed potatoes:
 

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (or a bit more)
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tbls salted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coarse black pepper
1 egg yolk
 

For the meat filling:
 

3/4 pounds ground lamb

3/4 lb ground beef, at least 90% lean; preferably organic

2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small 

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

2 cloves garlic, minced 

dash of cumin

3/4 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 tsp Emeril’s Essence or similar Louisiana spice seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

A few dashes of Crystal or Louisiana hot sauce, or somewhat less Tabasco brand hot sauce

2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth, preferably organic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated cheddar or other cheese as preferred
 

Directions
 

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warm. Drain potatoes and return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground meats, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
 

Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture. Dish into an appropriately sized baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over potatoes. Place on a sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.