Shepherd’s Pie
Over the last couple of weeks, K has been craving mashed potatoes. Her pleas didn’t fall on deaf ears as I decided Sunday’s meal would be none other than Shepherd’s Pie. The way I was taught in Newfoundland was to use a layer of meat, along with a layer of creamed corn and mashed potato topping. It’s a pretty simple recipe, however, I wanted to make something a little different, so I googled Shepherd’s Pie. This is another one of those dishes with a wide range of ingredients. There are plenty of variations but the soul of the dish remains a layer of meat and a potato topping. The main inspiration for the recipe I made this time was Gordon Ramsay, who provides his own recipe here.
People seem to either love or hate Ramsay, personally, I am a fan. I enjoy cooking a great deal, and before I wound up over here teaching English I seriously considering going to culinary school. Setting up a big meal is almost like meditation for me, once I start to cook something all of my attention goes into it and all my stresses and distractions simply evaporate. Getting it right and sharing with those you love is a great feeling. For those who only know of Gordon Ramsay through the American shows, I’d recommend watching the UK kitchen nightmares. You’d be surprised, he’s not nearly as harsh. I think a lot of that stuff is for ratings.
I chose Ramsay’s recipe as a blueprint not simply because I’m a fan, but also it sounded really tasty. I would have loved to follow it more closely, but that wasn’t possible. Most changes and substitutions made here were due to the scarcity of ingredients. Of course, when you change one thing there is a ripple effect. After all, some foods go better together than others.
Shepherd’s Pie |
Meat Filling
Potato Topping
Grate the onion and carrot into a medium bowl and set aside. Peel and cube the potatoes, put them into a large pot, add water enough water to cover the potatoes and two pinches of salt. Boil for about 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked (they’ll fall off when stabbed with a fork). While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large pan and add the beef. Cook over med-high for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, onions and carrots. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and boil down until almost dry. Add the chicken stock and boil it down again. Set aside to cool. Time to turn our attention back to the potatoes. Check on the potatoes, they should almost be ready now. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Once the potatoes are ready, mash them and mix in the ingredients for the potato layer. Whip the potato layer until everything is evenly mixed. Spoon the meat into a 2L casserole. Spread the potato layer over top of the meat. Fluff the potatoes to leave peaks. |