Shepherd’s Pie ©

 

 

 

 

This is the most warming delicious pie, when made with good fresh ingredients!

My recipe collection could not be complete without it. It is so often badly made, but once you try this you will never look back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy

 

 

Preparation Time : 1/2 hour

 

 

 

6 Persons

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 kilo good mince meat

4 medium onions diced

1 grated carrot ( opt )

small bunch Mediterranean celery ( opt )

1 packet of streaky smoked bacon

1 tbs tomato purée

1/2 tsp sugar

2 bay leaves torn

1 tbs marjoram

1 tbs french Dijon mustard

1 tbs Worcester Sauce

1/2 glass water or white wine

1 beef stock cube

1 tsp flour

3 tbs olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Mashed Potatoes

6-8 medium sized potatoes

50 g butter

1 cup milk

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tbs mixed grated cheeses

1 tbs grated parmesan for the topping

 

Method

1. Peel potatoes cut into equal sizes. Place in saucepan, cover with water, add a tsp salt and simmer until the potatoes fall off the point of a knife.
2. Using a medium saucepan, pour in oil and fry diced onions and sliced bacon until transparent and bacon is getting a little crispy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Add mince meat and seal until brown, using a wooden spoon.
4. Add torn bay leaf, marjoram, tomato puree and the rest of your ingredients.
5. Add 1/2 glass of water or wine and simmer lid on.
6. Press potatoes through potato press into a clean saucepan. Add butter, seasoning and enough milk to make mashed potatoes light and fluffy. Heat through and add grated cheese.
7. Choose a suitable ‘oven wear’ dish and fill with mince. Flatten off and cover with mashed potatoes.
8. Using a fork make a pattern on top of the mashed potatoes. Grate over the top a little parmesan.
9. Place into pre-heated oven 200.C until the top is brown and crusty.( If not serving until the next day, take procedure up to here, cover with cling film and reserve in fridge. Take out of fridge, 1/2 before cooking to come to room temperature first).
10. Serve very hot.

 

This is what you are aiming for!

 

Assemble all your ingredients.

 

Cover potatoes in cold water and peel.

 

Place them in saucepan, cover with cold water and a tsp salt and bring to the boil. Simmer until when you insert the point of a knife into the potatoes they fall off the knife.

Dice onions.

 

Slice bacon.

 

Using a medium sized saucepan, add olive oil, onions, bacon and bay leaves. Sauté over a medium heat until onions are transparent and bacon getting crispy, five minutes max.

Add mince meat and seal until all the meat is brown, turning with a wooden spoon. Add wine and cook three more minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Lastly add 1/2 glass of water , replace lid and leave to simmer gently until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.

Place drained potatoes in potato press.

Squeeze until you have used up all your potatoes.

Place in clean saucepan and add butter, seasoning and enough milk to make a soft fluffy consistency. Heat over a low heat.

Remove from heat and add grated mixed cheeses. Mix well.

Choose a suitable oven proof dish and fill with first meat mixture and then the mashed potatoes.

Decorate with a fork.

Grate over with parmesan.

Final result. If eating straight away, place in pre-heated oven 200.C and cook until brown on top. If not, cover with cling film and reserve in fridge. Remove 1/2 an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.

 

Final result!

One of my favourites!