What goes into a Shepherd’s Pie?
Ground beef, carrots, peas, mashed potato and love. Shepherd’s Pie has been a household name in Irish homes since 1791. In the beginning the dish was a means of making the best use of leftover roasted meat of any kind. Always a part of traditional Irish cooking, this homely dish has been in many cookbooks by UK and US chefs. My favorite spot in New York to devour this humble classic is the Gossip Bar. Their preparation got me intrigued in its recipe and so I thought I could share it with everyone. The main ingredients that go into a Shepherd’s Pie are mainly potatoes and the minced meat seasoned in the British style.
To begin with, sauté onions in two table spoon vegetable oil in a pot on medium heat. When they turn brown, raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef to it. Some people also add lamb instead of beef, so you can choose your meat as you like. Continuously stir the mix while sautéing until it starts to turn brown. This is the time you can add around one and a quarter cups of hot water to this and add bay leaf and garlic as per taste. Now put the lid on till you bring it to simmer and then turn the heat to low. Let the meat mix simmer for another thirty minutes or until you see that the liquid has reduced to only half a cup.
While the meat simmers, you can prepare for your mashed potatoes. Peel and cube potatoes into small cubes and boil in water until they are tender. Drain the potato cubes and add salt and pepper to taste. Now add butter to this and mash. To give tenderness and airiness to the mashed potatoes now add a mix of egg yolk and milk beaten together. Once stirred well, add sliced scallions to the mashed potato mix and set it aside.
Coming back to the simmered meat, add some tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and fresh carrots and peas soaked in water. Now season it with salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well and let the meat simmer for five more minutes. Empty this into an oven-safe deep dish and remove the bay leaf. Now spread the seasoned mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture. Rough it up with a fork to make crusty peaks or create your designs with a fork for an interesting brown crust. Now make sure your oven has been preheated to 400˚F. Then place the dish in the middle shelf of the oven for even baking from the top and bottom. Bake the dish for thirty to forty minutes until you see the top turning into a scrumptious golden brown.
As the Gossip Bar chef tells me, the secret to a Shepherd’s Pie is to keep all things simple. From the ingredients to the method, everything needs to done keeping in mind how you would do it at home. That’s what brings out the true flavors of a home-like Shepherd’s Pie. So the next time you want some warm Irish dish to turn your day around, try this recipe or just visit Gossip Bar.
To begin with, sauté onions in two table spoon vegetable oil in a pot on medium heat. When they turn brown, raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef to it. Some people also add lamb instead of beef, so you can choose your meat as you like. Continuously stir the mix while sautéing until it starts to turn brown. This is the time you can add around one and a quarter cups of hot water to this and add bay leaf and garlic as per taste. Now put the lid on till you bring it to simmer and then turn the heat to low. Let the meat mix simmer for another thirty minutes or until you see that the liquid has reduced to only half a cup.
While the meat simmers, you can prepare for your mashed potatoes. Peel and cube potatoes into small cubes and boil in water until they are tender. Drain the potato cubes and add salt and pepper to taste. Now add butter to this and mash. To give tenderness and airiness to the mashed potatoes now add a mix of egg yolk and milk beaten together. Once stirred well, add sliced scallions to the mashed potato mix and set it aside.
Coming back to the simmered meat, add some tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and fresh carrots and peas soaked in water. Now season it with salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well and let the meat simmer for five more minutes. Empty this into an oven-safe deep dish and remove the bay leaf. Now spread the seasoned mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture. Rough it up with a fork to make crusty peaks or create your designs with a fork for an interesting brown crust. Now make sure your oven has been preheated to 400˚F. Then place the dish in the middle shelf of the oven for even baking from the top and bottom. Bake the dish for thirty to forty minutes until you see the top turning into a scrumptious golden brown.
As the Gossip Bar chef tells me, the secret to a Shepherd’s Pie is to keep all things simple. From the ingredients to the method, everything needs to done keeping in mind how you would do it at home. That’s what brings out the true flavors of a home-like Shepherd’s Pie. So the next time you want some warm Irish dish to turn your day around, try this recipe or just visit Gossip Bar.
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