Real Shepherd's Pie

Submitted by Andy Mann

"A traditional British dish, Cottage pie may be made by the same method substituting lamb and lamb stock with beef and beef stock,it may also be topped with grated cheese and tomato before browning, My recipe serves 2 hungry people with good appetites,but it can serve 4."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 2-4

ingredients

• 1 lb ground lamb (or minced lamb&mutton)
• 1 onion
• 1 Knorr lamb cube (or own lamb stock) or 2 Oxo lamb cubes (or own lamb stock)
• plain flour (for thickening) or cornflour (for thickening)
• 2 lbs potatoes
• butter
• salt & pepper
• of fresh mint (optional)

directions

1. Brown meat and chopped onion together for about 5 minutes,add stock and simmer slowly,occasionally stirring until cooked,about 20 minutes.
2. Mix 2-3 teaspoons of flour or cornflour to a smooth cream with water and slowly add to meat mixture over a low heat stirring continuously until thickened.
3. Pour into ovenproof dish and set aside,allowing to cool,depending on the quality of the meat used you should not need to skim the fat,however,this is to personal taste.
4. Peel,boil and mash potatoes with salt,pepper,freshly chopped mint if required,and a generous knob of butter.
5. Cover the meat mixture with the potato and bake in a medium oven for 30-40 minutes.
6. If required dish can be browned under a grill.
7. Serve with fresh vegetables.
8. I also like thickly sliced fresh bread and butter with my Real Shepherds Pie.

Reviews

[elsieacross the pon]

This is an excellent recipe and absolutely authentic just as I, my mother, grandmother and probably great-grandmother have been making it all these years. If lamb was used, often left-overs from the Sunday roast, it was called Shepherd's Pie (Sheepherd) and if beef then "Cottage Pie". It needs no extra bits added, and certainly NO baked beans - sacrilege.You could, of course experiment, but it would no longer be Shepherd's Pie.

 

[Nigel Voller]

Needs carots and celary. Leftover beef is also good. I have used hamburger as well. For a change dump in a can of baked beans. Put cheese on top. And dont forget the garlic.

 

[Plaisham]

Geesh...I just recommended your bubble and squeak recipe and lol lol here I am making shepards pie...with lamb and left over gravy. Wish you would post some more no nonsense recipes. This too was plain and simply good eating.

 

[munizha]

Thanks for this recipe. Exactly what I was looking for. I did add some diced carrots to the mince, as well as a small amount of tomato puree and Worcester Sauce which gave it a bit more depth. Also, try serving with carrots and parsnips, boiled and roughly mashed together -takes the notion of comfort food to another level!

 

[ErikTheV]

The addition of carrots and/or parsnips or turnip is purely by taste, availability and personal choice and still authentic. Adding corn,celery, baked beans, etc is a mockery of 'traditional' Shepherd's Pie. My belief was that the difference between Shepherd's and Cottage Pie as that Shepherd's is done with mashed potato on top to resemble the poorer man's thatched cottage look, and Cottage Pie is done with layered sliced potatoes on top to resemble the more affluent tiled roof.