Shepherd's Pie for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

marta sgubin's recipe - diana vreeland, editor of Vogue magazine for many years, used to request this when having lunch with JKO -- the way the potatoes are mashed is the secret here -- see also my recipe for this included in the Jo Safford's Elegant Leg of Lamb --

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  cups  chopped lamb (the meat must be rare) or 4  cups roast beef (the meat must be rare)
• 2  large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  teaspoon fresh rosemary leaf
• 8  tablespoons  kerry irish gold butter, divided
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  cup  beef stock or 1  cup bouillon
• 4  cups mashed potatoes

Directions

1. See separate recipe for Marta Sgubin's Mashed Potatoes --
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Combine the lamb, garlic, onion and rosemary and put them through a meat grinder twice. If you don't have a meat grinder, don't use a food processor because that doesn't give the right texture. Use a knife to chop [or shred] the ingredients very fine, the way you would if you were making hash.
4. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and stir in the flour.
5. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook for 5 minutes or until completely blended. Slowly add the beef stock, stirring as you add, and cook until thickened - about 5 minutes.
6. Add the chopped lamb mixture and stir to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spoon this meat mixture into a 2-quart oval ovenproof casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top. They should be as even as possible and touch the rim of the dish so that non of the meat mixture shows.
8. Use a fork to rake a design along the top, drawing the tines over the sirface from one end to the other the long way. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
9. Bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling hot and the potatoes are lightly browned.