A Shepherd's Pie Formula
Make it how you like!
Most of you are probably familiar with the British favourite: the shepherd’s pie. Savory and seasoned ground lamb is cooked in a rich gravy with some basic veg, then topped with buttery mashed potatoes. Although not technically a pie because of the absence of any kind of pastry crust, the mashed potato owns its role and provides the starch we all secretly want.
There are some quite creative variations of this dish thanks to TV chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson, and some truly abysmal versions that are thickened with flavored '“gravy granules”, thanks to the 1980’s but there really is no excuse to go to such a dark place as flavour can be built easily with healthy and basic pantry staples. I must say though, that as with most dishes, a good meat stock goes a long way in imparting flavour.
There are plenty of ways to get creative with your shepherd’s pie. The mashed potatoes can be spiked with different cheeses or whole grain mustard. The lamb can be switched out for beef, which would be considered a cottage pie. The meat can be flavored with rich meat/bone stock, red wine, dark beer and umami mushrooms can be added to the mix to create even more flavour. Even lentils work wonders as a meat-free alternative, and I truly never thought I’d say that!
So with all of this in mind I thought it would be fun to create a Shepherd’s Pie Formula; fully customizable but with the basic structure in place. I hope you have fun with this and let me know what you end up trying. The key is balance and harmony between salty, sweet and tangy for the ultimate savory dish.
This recipe creates a large serving! Split it up between two smaller pans and freeze a portion or make one big shepherds pie.
My favourite version uses smokey bacon grease, venison, meat stock and Guinness, thyme and rosemary as herbs and a couple of spoonfuls of both marmite and something sweet like red currant jelly or chutney.
Sea Wench Shepherd’s Pie Formula
You will need:
3 tbsp of fat - Bacon grease, lard, beef fat or ghee
2 lbs of meat - Venison, beef, lamb, or elk
OR 2 cups of dried green/puy lentils or 4 cups of cooked green/puy lentils
1 large onion, finely diced - White, sweet, brown or red onion
3 large carrots, finely diced - Orange or heirloom
3 sticks of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Optional add-ons (2 cups total): Butternut or other winter squash, cultivated or wild mushrooms, leeks, rutabaga (or swede), sweet potato.
** Stay clear of cruciferous vegetables or bell peppers. It will make your pie taste of farts or Italian food, neither of which are ideal in this recipe. Dry cook your mushrooms first to remove any excess moisture before adding.
Liquid, any combo (enough to deglaze the pan and cover your ingredients) - Meat stock, veg stock, red wine, stout or ale
** Avoid IPA or overly bitter beer.
4 tbsp of tomato puree
4 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
Optional flavour-boosters, any combo (2 tbsp total): A1/HP sauce, mushroom ketchup, sweet balsamic vinegar, red currant jelly, chutney, marmite, wholegrain mustard, mild miso, salty anchovies (NOT sardines)
Herbs, fresh or dried - Woody herbs like thyme, rosemary and sage work best. Fresh parsley is nice at the end. Mint would be great if using lamb. Fresh chives in the potatoes would be delicious.
Spices - A small amount of allspice or mace, some fresh or dried chili if you enjoy a kick, perhaps a small teaspoon of smoked paprika to enhance meatiness.
1 cup of frozen peas
2 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
1 3lb bag of gold potatoes, peeled and halved
8 tbsp of butter
Splash of milk or cream
Optional mash add-ons: Parmesan, strong cheddar, blue cheese, mustard, fresh chives, garlic, green onions, bacon bits
Salt and pepper
Method:
Begin by browning the meat off in your fat of choice. Season well with salt. When the meat is no longer pink, add the onions, celery and carrots and stir well. (If using lentils instead of meat, add them after the veg has slightly softened.)
Once the onions are beginning to look translucent add the garlic, followed by any additional vegetables you’d like. Season with salt again. Deglaze the pan with your liquid/s of choice, starting with the alcohol if using any. It’s nice to give it a chance to burn off before adding any stock. You want enough liquid to cover the meat/veg by an inch. Give it a good stir, then add the tomato puree, your optional flavour-boosters, herbs, spices and the frozen peas. Pop the lid on and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lid, taste, season again and let simmer for another 20 minutes with the lid off over a medium heat. You want the sauce to reduce to a gravy!
While the filling is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prep your potatoes for mashing. Drop them into a large pot of cold salted water and boil until tender. Drain, add butter and milk or cream, plenty of salt and pepper and mash. Add any extras that you fancy and set aside for topping your pie.
Back to the shepherd’s pie. If the filling still seems a little wet, take 2 tbsp of cornstarch mixed in a cup with a few tbsp of cold water. Stir until combined and slowly pour into the simmering pie filling, stopping when desired thickness is achieved and cook for 2 more minutes. Taste one final time and adjust any seasoning.
Pour meat mixture into a large baking dish, top liberally with the mashed potatoes. Freeze at this stage if freezing or continue to the next step. Pop it into the oven for 25 minutes or until potatoes are slightly browning.