Shepherd’s pie or Shepherd’s pie. Delicious English recipe

For 6 € 4 /pers. 346 kcal/100g

How to make a shepherd’s pie or Shepherd’s pie.

Today we have gotten to work with a classic of English or Anglo-Saxon gastronomy, shepherd’s pie.

It is a traditional stew made with minced lamb , very similar to one of its brothers, the cottage pie or meat and potato pie, with the main difference being the type of meat. In our shepherd’s pie, the meat must be lamb and no other.

This is the traditional Sunday meat recipe in England with the whole family, with which we flew towards a gastronomy that is not very well known in our country and that has delicious dishes… One of those that are prepared with time and will leave remains for enjoyment of Monday. The minced lamb is cooked on one side, stewed with vegetables and Worcestershire sauce and covered with a kind of mashed potato to dig into the oven.

Although originally, the mashed potato that covers the meat does not have cheese either inside it or sprinkled on its surface, this would be a variation that we could make to improve the final result. Sprinkling the surface of the puree with grated cheddar cheese will be a sure hit.

Preparation of the shepherd’s pie base . Lamb and vegetables

1. We ask our butcher to chop the lamb meat of our choice. In this case it is a leg of lamb. It is important to leave some of the fat between the meat as otherwise it could be a bit dry.
2. In a wide saucepan, heat a splash of extra virgin olive oil. We add the lamb meat and cook it until golden. We remove the meat from the casserole and reserve.
3. In the same saucepan we sauté the onion that we have cut into small cubes. When it begins to soften, add the carrot and celery cut into cubes and the thyme and rosemary. We cook the vegetables until they are well poached.
4. Add the flour and a pinch of salt. We stir to integrate and cook the flour. Add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato concentrate and let the mixture cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. We cover with the meat broth and add the meat that we have reserved. We cover the casserole and cook for 45 minutes. After this time, we uncover and let it cook for 10-15 more minutes. We reserve.

Preparation of English-style creamy potato soup

1. While the meat is cooking, prepare the potato cream. We peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces. We will make sure that all the pieces are the same size so that they cook evenly. We cook the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until we see that they are ready.
2. Cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes. Don’t forget to use potatoes to cook, it will turn out much better.
3. Drain the potatoes and add the nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and milk. We begin to mash the potatoes and add the butter. We mash the potatoes until they have a uniform texture.

Assembly, baking and final presentation of the shepherd’s pie

1. In an oven-safe mold we place the meat stew that we have already cooked. We cover with the mashed potatoes and place in the oven, which we will have previously heated to 180º C.
2. We place the dish on the central tray of the oven and bake for 35 minutes at 180º C, with the “up and down” heat function.
3. After 35 minutes of time, we activate the grill function so that the surface is grilled a little. The total time in the oven will be 40 minutes. And as I always tell you, each oven is different and there is no one better than you to know when it will be ready, with 5 minutes up or down.
4. When removing it from the oven we have to let it rest for a few minutes, so that the meat pie settles and it is easier to serve the portions. If it’s too hot, it will fall apart when you try to cut it and serve it.

You can see all the step-by-step photos of the recipe for English shepherd’s pie or meat and potatoes   in this album. Don’t miss any details and it will turn out perfect.

Tips for a perfect shepherd’s pie

• Purists do not allow too many variations in the dish. Among the vegetables used, carrots, celery, perhaps peas and little else, no mushrooms or tomatoes, which although they would not be bad in the final result, would create another different recipe and we would stop talking about shepherd’s pie .
• Regarding the meat, as already mentioned, it must be lamb and no other. From here, the part of the animal, the type of cut or even the initial treatment, roasted or cooked, can become a culinary treatise in Great Britain.
• Although it is a simple recipe, it requires some preparation time. Each of the phases of the recipe requires having a free morning to end up feeling somewhat Anglo-Saxon and enjoying this very traditional dish.