Shepherd’s Pie
The most important decision here happens before you assemble anything: the potatoes are boiled in their skins and peeled after cooking. Skin-on, they take on less water, so the mash you beat with butter and cream stays firm enough to hold the ridges you drag across it with a fork instead of sagging into the meat. The pinch of cinnamon sounds odd in a savory pie, but it echoes the rosemary and thyme in the filling and reads as warmth rather than dessert spice.
The name is literal. In Britain a shepherd’s pie is made with lamb — the shepherd keeps sheep — while the same dish built on beef is properly a cottage pie; either works. If the filling still looks soupy after its ten minutes of simmering, cook it uncovered a few minutes longer, because a loose sauce floats the mash and cracks the top. Bake at 180 C (350 F) until the cheese is bronzed, and choose a good melter such as sharp cheddar, grated fine. Reheat leftovers in the oven rather than the microwave; only dry heat crisps that crust again.
Part of British cuisine — 10 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Filling
Heat a skillet and brown the ground meat in oil.Slice the leek into rings and grate the carrots, then add them to the meat and saute together.
Add the rosemary, thyme and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, stir, pour in the stock and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Mash and assembly
Boil the potatoes in their skins, then peel and mash them with the butter and cream until light and fluffy. Season with salt and stir in a pinch of cinnamon.In a deep baking dish, layer the meat first, then the mashed potato. Drag a fork across the entire surface to form a ridged crust, and grate cheese over the top.
Preheat the oven to 180 C in advance. Bake the pie for about 20 minutes, until a golden cheese crust appears.
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