Description
Classic Shepherd’s Pie featuring a rich ground lamb filling cooked with aromatic vegetables and herbs, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and a golden cheesy crust. This comforting dish is perfect for a hearty main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 750g ground lamb (mince) or beef
- 1/4 cup plain/all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock/broth
- 1/2 cup red wine or water
- 1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
Mashed Potato
- 1.2 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes
- 2/3 cup milk (whole or low fat)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Cheesy Crust (optional)
- 2 – 3 tbsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- Fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish
Instructions
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add carrots, celery, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 3 minutes until softened and sweet.
- Cook Lamb: Increase heat to high, add ground lamb and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned all over.
- Make Sauce: Stir in flour to coat the meat. Add tomato paste, beef broth, red wine, crumbled bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer and Thicken: Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and gravy-like.
- Cool Filling: Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in frozen peas. Transfer the filling to a 1.5 litre/1.5 quart pie baking dish, cover and refrigerate to cool for 1 to 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 180°C/350°F (both fan and conventional settings are suitable).
- Boil Potatoes: Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water 10cm above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to the pot off the heat, allowing them to steam dry for about 30 seconds.
- Mash Potatoes: Add butter to hot potatoes and mash until melted and combined. Add milk, salt, and pepper, mashing until smooth and spreadable but not sloppy. Adjust milk if needed.
- Assemble Pie: Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the cooled filling. Create decorative squiggles on the surface with a fork. Sprinkle grated parmesan on top and drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake: Place pie in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is deep golden and bubbling around the edges. Test doneness by inserting a knife to ensure the filling is piping hot.
- Rest and Serve: Allow pie to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Notes
- Carrots and celery create a flavorful mirepoix base; to omit them, add 1 tsp sugar to compensate for sweetness.
- Ensure the sauce is thick before assembling, as it will not thicken further during baking.
- Cooling the filling prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming watery and makes spreading easier. For faster cooling, use the freezer briefly.
- Steam drying potatoes before mashing avoids excess moisture that can make the dish watery; mashed potatoes should be hot when spreading.
- For an indulgent version, mix cheese like cheddar or gruyere into the mashed potatoes before topping.
- Variations can include adding finely chopped vegetables like zucchini or spinach to the filling and adjusting meat quantity.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute flour with 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water; omit Worcestershire sauce.
- This pie can be assembled ahead, refrigerated or frozen unbaked. Thaw before baking for best results.
