British Cuisine

The UK gets a bad rap when it comes to food, but it really isn't all bad.  One of my favorite dishes to make is Shepherd's Pie (or cottage pie depending on what type of meat you use.  I love it because it is very easy to make, can be made in advance and cooked right before serving (great for company) and you can really get creative if you need to use stuff up in your fridge.  I will give you my recipe, but be aware that I don't measure anything and the recipe changes a bit every time I make it so here goes and enjoy!

Shepherd's (or Cottage) Pie

Preheat your oven if you are going to fully bake this right away.  I would suggest a middle setting.  In Celcius it is about 175, but as long as the oven isn't too hot you can't really go wrong as everything is pre-cooked!

You will Need:

Something to bake the Pie in.  I make mine in a large Le Crueset Lasagne pan, but you can use anything you like - preferably an oven proof pan of some sort

Maybe a pound or so of ground lamb (shepherd's pie) or ground beef (cottage pie).  My recipes use 500 grams - you can do the conversion and math if you want.  You will basically need enough to fill up about a third of your baking vessel of choice.  I prefer lamb - it has a much better flavor in my opinion than the beef, although the beef is good too.

Potatoes - 7 or 8 good sized potatoes for mashing (more or less if you love potatoes).  Again the recipe I think calls for about 750 grams of mashed pot, but I am not doing math tonight!  Wash, peel and quarter them.

An onion - or two

Some minced garlic

A couple of carrots - sliced

Some peas - fresh, frozen or canned

A little bit of butter

Milk or soured cream if you are feeling like you need the extra calories

Schwartz' Shephard's Pie Spice Mix - now this is not readily available in the US but it can be found.  I found mine at Woodman's in Madison last time I went back (shock).  If you have a large grocery store that stocks ethnic foods it is usually on a small shelf under 'other'.  If you don't have the pre mixed stuff here are some things you can use to add some flavor:  Worchestershire Sauce, beef bullion cube, rosemary, thyme, parsley, paprika, perhaps some Lawry's seasoning or anything in the grocery store that is aimed at seasoning meat or making a gravy.  If you are desparate for the Schwartz' send me an email and I will send you some - it really does make a nice jumping off point (I always start there and add my own).

Here we go:

Boil water for the potatoes and plunk them babies in.  Give them about 15 to 20 minutes (until they are soft enough to mash).  If you are a garlic fiend add some whole peeled garlic cloves right into the water.

While the potatoes are boiling you need to fry the ground meat with the onions and garlic until browned.  Add the seasoning throughout the process to sear it in.  you will need to add a little water to make a gravy out of whatever you are using.  Add the carrots and peas, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.  The consistency you are looking for is thick and rich.

While the meat mix is simmering - drain potatoes and mash with some butter and milk (or soured cream).  The you will need the mashed potatoes quite fluffy so they are easy to spread.

When the meat mixture is done add the whole lot to your baking dish and spread out evenly.  Drop large spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes evenly on top of the meat and then use a spatula (or fork, or knife) to spread that evenly.

Use the end of a spoon or knife to 'drill' about 6 holes through the potatoes.  This will keep the meat mixture from exploding over the edges.

If you are feeling fancy, drag a fork across the top of the potatoes to make lines.  Sprinkle with some paprika and parsley.

I personally think it is better to let the whole mixture sit and cool before baking, but if you are in a hurry, chuck that bad boy in the oven pronto.

Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on top.

Cut into squares and serve with some seasonal veg and garlic bread!

Let me know how it turns out (if you haven't already invited me over for some)