British Classic Shepherd's Pie

Not just another name for Cottage Pie, Shepherd's Pie is very much its own thing! Sweet, succulent lamb in an incredible potato-topped pie. This one is to die for folks - get in here! If you haven't seen the cottage pie video, check out the playlist at the end of this video, or click this link to skip straight there: /watch/EH381LoY6p3Y8 If you don't have a suitable dish, Amazon stock them (though to be fair so does Tesco or anywhere local really): https://amzn.to/4385qND (The above is an affiliate link, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a qualifying purchase). Recipe: For the roasted lamb: Take one 750g half-shoulder joint, locally-sourced if possible Season generously with salt and black pepper Place in a roasting tin on a bed of sliced onion Add 250ml / 1 glass fruity red wine Add three sprigs fresh rosemary Roast at 170°C / 340°F convection (190°C / 375°F conventional), 55 minutes Allow to rest and cool completely For the filling: Peel and roughly chop one brown onion Peel and chop five or six cloves of garlic Peel and very roughly chop three or four carrots Brown 500g / 1lb good-quality generously-seasoned lamb mince over a medium-high heat Reserve the fat that is released during cooking Once browned, remove to a plate Fry the carrots, moving regularly, for one to two minutes Add a little of the lamb fat back into the pan Reduce the heat and add the onions Season generously with salt Fry for three to five minutes until softened and translucent Add half of the garlic - set the other half to one side for later Fry gently, 30secs to 1 minute, until fragrant Add the lamb mince back to the pan Add 1tsp plain (all-purpose) flour and stir to combine Add 1 glass, 250ml red wine (the same you used for roasting is fine) Add Bouquet Garni (see below) Add a good pinch of dried thyme Add 2 good-quality lamb stock pots (I used Knorr, YMMV) Add 1 glass, 250ml water Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 30-45 minutes Stir occasionally and adjust water if needed - you want the mixture to end up being quite dry and the carrots to be cooked, but still with a little bite. Add a dash of cider vinegar, or other light vinegar of your choice Check and adjust seasoning, allow to cool For the mash: Finely chop a handful of fresh rosemary Peel five or six good-sized floury potatoes, I used Maris Piper Chop into roughly one inch cubes Soak for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear Place in a pan of cold, generously seasoned water, over medium-high heat Bring to a boil and cook for a total time (from cold) of 20mins, or until fork tender Drain, reserving 2cups of the water, and allow to steam for five to ten minutes Melt 50-100g salted butter in the potato pan over low heat Once it begins to foam, add the reserved half of the chopped garlic Cook, about 1 minute, until it just begins to colour Add the rosemary and cook for another 30secs to 1 minute Remove from the heat, add the potatoes Lightly season and mash with your tool of choice Once partially mashed, begin adding the potato water, a little at a time, and continue mashing until your desired texture is reached - it should be slightly drier than you would make it to serve as a side (but not too dry). Taste for seasoning - salt and pepper are recommended To assemble, place the filling into a square ovenproof dish, large enough to hold both filling and potato. Level out, then top with the potato (see video for my method, or feel free to pipe it if that be your thing) Ensure the end product has a rough surface Grate over just a little fresh parmesan Bake at 170°C / 340°F convection (190°C / 375°F conventional) for thirty to forty minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the filling has just started to bubble through. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve generously with some green vegetables of your choice. #britishfood #cooking #recipe #tutorial #shepherdspie #food #delicious #deliciousfood

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