My love of shepherd’s pie is always associated with January because that is when I have the most left over cooked meat from Christmas.
But it is also one of my favourite winter dishes so I think it can be made all year round.
Using leftover meat minced up and mixed with fresh ingredients to make a scrumptious tasting pie is also good for the wallet.
If you don’t have any left overs use fresh mince instead.
Ingredients for one big or six individual pies
- 1.2kg minced leftover meat of your choice (lamb, beef, pork, chicken, turkey or ham)
- 150g onion fine diced
- 150g carrot fine diced
- 150g celery fine diced
- 150g tomato paste (preservative free)
- 50ml worcestershire sauce
- 400ml lamb/beef or chicken stock
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- West Australian organic lake salt to taste
- Creamy Potato Mash
- 1kg Royal Blue potato
- 50g butter
- 100ml cream
Method
- First sauté your onion in the oil till it’s a little coloured, then add the carrot and celery and cook with the onion until they are soft.
- Now add your minced meat and cook for five minutes or until it is cooked if using raw mince (well crushed with no lumps in the mince).
- Now add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes then add your stock and worcestershire sauce, cooking till your mixture is not too wet. Test for salt and pepper then cool mixture for use later.
- Make your potato mash by cutting your peeled potatoes in small diced pieces and boiling in salted water until soft; then drain.
- Bring your cream and butter to a slow simmer then rice (or sieve into a fine paste) your hot potato into the cream and butter and mix really well. Cool this mix.
- When ready to make your shepherd’s pie or pies fill the bottom of your containers about 65 per cent full then pipe the potato on top and bake your pie or pies for about 40 – 50 minutes at 175°C degrees till golden brown on top.
- Serve piping hot.
Shepherd’s pie can be made and refrigerated, then baked next day with a little liquid butter painted over the mash while baking.
Buon Appetito.
