Making shepherd’s pie is a must in winter. It’s warm, comforting and extremely hearty. Matt Moran’s shepherd’s pie is slightly different to the usual recipe – instead of using rich beef stock as your base, it uses lamb stock instead. Matt Moran’s My Perfect Lamb Stock is filled with all the good stuff, and complements the savoury, tender lamb mince you’ll use to make your hearty dinner.
Make this the next time you’ve got guests over on a cold, crisp evening. They’ll love the piped mashed potato topping and the comforting filling.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan-forced.
Heat a heavy-based saucepan on medium-high heat with half of the oil. Add the lamb mince, season with a little salt, then cook for 3–4 minutes or until the mince has browned. Stir in the rosemary and bay leaf.
Place a medium saucepan on medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then cook gently for 3–4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomato paste, then add the wine to deglaze the pan. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce. Add the lamb mince and stir through. Pour in the lamb stock, then bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Place the cornflour into a small bowl and add a little water to form a slurry. Pour the cornflour slurry into the lamb in stages, stirring at each stage until the sauce slightly thickens and has a gravy consistency. Stir in the peas. Take mince mixture off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks, then wash under cold water. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil on high heat. Simmer for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and leave to steam for 2–3 minutes (this allows all the excess moisture to steam off). Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes, then add the butter and milk and continue to mash until there are no lumps. Season with salt, then beat in the egg yolk with a wooden spoon.
Pour the lamb mince into a 22cm x 30cm (10-cup capacity) baking dish, then either pipe the mashed potato over the top or spread over with a palette knife.
Place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the potato top is golden.
The only real difference between shepherd’s and cottage pie is the type of meat used for the filling. Traditionally, cottage pie uses beef mince, while shepherd’s pie uses lamb. Historically, shepherd’s pie and cottage pie have been used interchangeably – it is only recently that recipes and food writers have specified a difference.
Traditionally, a rich beef stock is used for shepherd’s pie. In this recipe, Matt Moran furthers the lamb flavour by using lamb stock.
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