My British Shepherd Pie is made with lamb cooked in wine, zucchini instead of British peas, and potatoes cooked with garlic and sheep milk cheese.
Course Stew
Cuisine British Fusion
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings 2servings
Calories 300kcal
Ingredients
Lamb leg or shanks - 3 lbs or more
Onions - 2, rough chopped
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Carrots - 8, rough chopped
Celery - 1 bundle, rough chopped
Garlic - 1 whole bulb, smashed
Salt - 1 tbsp
Red wine - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups, boiled
Sumac - 2 tbsp
Black cumin - 2 tbsp
Aleppo pepper - 1 tbsp
Fresh marjoram or Rosemary - several sprigs or 2 tbsp dried
Cooked Lamb - 1 cup, cubed
Onion - 1/2 cup, cooked
Celery - 1/2 cup, cooked
Carrots - 1 cup, cooked
Peas or zucchini - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Lamb stock - 2 cups
Flour - 2 tbsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Potatoes - 4 medium, peeled and rough chopped *see notes
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Sheep milk cheese - 1 cup, grated
Instructions
To wine cook the lamb: place olive oil in a large pot heated to medium high, add the onions and celery. Stir until the onions and celery become slightly caramelized.
Place the lamb on top of the onions and celery, add the sumac, black cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt and sear all sides of the lamb briefly. Pour in the wine, boiled water, carrots, marjoram and smashed garlic. Bring to a boil, lower, place the lid on and simmer for an hour and a half.
Remove the cooked lamb, celery, onions and carrots. Reduce the stock in half. Cut the lamb and carrots into bite size pieces and set aside. This step can be done in advance or the same day.
To prepare the Shepherd’s pie filling and potato top: place the chopped potatoes into enough water to cover, bring to a boil, lower and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
Pour off the potato water and reserve. Add crushed garlic and cheese (reserving a little for the top), into the potatoes and whisk them until smooth, adding a little reserved potato water if needed. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare the roux for the gravy, warm the stock in a small pan. In a separate large frying pan, melt the butter, add the flour, whisk to incorporate while pouring in the warm broth in, a little at a time until the consistency simmers to a medium thick gravy. Turn off the heat.
Into the gravy add the cooked onions and celery, the chopped lamb and carrots, peas or zucchini (depending on which you choose), and salt to flavor as needed. Gently fold to incorporate all the ingredients of the filling.
Transfer the lamb and gravy filling to individual baking dishes (preferably to serve in). Spread the whipped, cheesy potatoes across the top, sprinkle more cheese and warm in the oven until the potatoes get a little color on top and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Serve.
Notes
Instead of mashed potatoes, potatoes can also be sliced into rounds, simmered until soft and placed on top of the lamb filling with cheese sprinkled across the top and browned in the oven. Same great flavors just a different presentation.