There is something very special about a Shepherd’s Pie on a chilly day, something heart warming, in more ways than one.
I often hear people saying something akin to “yes, but have you tried it with beef?”. It’s a common mistake that some people make, my ex-wife once complained to a waiter that her Shepherd’s Pie had lamb in it, we were near the end of our relationship and so I left it unchallenged. For the record…Beef = Cottage Pie.
What follows is the sole work of my 10 yr old daughter; try it, you’ll love it, and most of all enjoy.
Let’s begin with the heart of the base, lardons. Take 10 rashers of unsmoked bacon and dice; to celebrate the year of the pig…
Bacon
Grab some fresh thyme and chop 2 white onions (some recipes, mainly from across the pond refer to them as brown onions (due to the skin colour).
Thyme
Add the onions to a deep pan with a little olive oil.
Onions
Add the thyme.
Combined
Dice 2 carrots and add, cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened.
Carrots
Minced garlic, black pepper, chopped thyme, diced onions, diced carrots.
Lardons
Add the lardons all in, once the water content has evaporated and the lardons take on a colour add one teaspoon of Colman’s English mustard and stir on full heat. Next up the lamb mince.
Blend
Take your time to break up the mince, there is nothing worse than clumps of mince with no colour or taste. Work in stages, use the wooden spoon to break a section off and ensure it is combined with the rest of the pan, then repeat.
Mince
Once the mince starts to take on a colour prepare sweet paprika, chopped thyme, and half a bottle of a decent Ale, we’ve gone with Abbot; thankfully, no maths were involved…
Break Down
After 10 minutes add Worcester Sauce and 250ml Red Wine.
Thicken
Simmer for 3o minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Portion Up
Turn the heat off and leave to cool for 2 hours prior to portioning up, this will allow the sauce to solidify.
These Bowls Are Deep
Place some cheddar on top of the sauce, then place the mash on top taking time to ensure there are no gaps and the mash is completely sealed.
Cheddar Before And After Mash
Top with a little more cheddar and some Parmesan, then place in the oven at 190c for circa 20 to 30 minutes or until the beauty that is below.
Perfection
Someone please tell @SadiqKhan THIS is the only reason a 10 yr old should carry a knife, all her own work.
So very proud of my 10 yr old, please take time to give this a shot and comment via #ParlezPantry on Twitter, the same for any questions, feel free to ask.
