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I remember as a younger person, about 7 years old sitting in the kitchen with a hand mincer, attached to a wooden chair and being given the job of mincing up the left-over lamb, hogget or mutton roast from the day before. It’s a job I loved and I still do. These days I have a Kenwood Mixer with the mincer attachment so the job now is “no sweat”
Shepherd’s Pie, not to be confused with Cottage Pie was originally an English dish made with left-over lamb, hogget or mutton roast that is minced up. In English terms a Cottage Pie is made with beef not lamb. In the US a Shepherd’s Pie is usually made with beef.
A Shepherd’s Pie is essentially cooked in a casserole dish, lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked. I prefer to use a sweet potato mash.
1250 g (2.75 lb) cold roast lamb, minced (ground)
1 large onion chopped
1 cup each of fine diced carrots and celery
1250 g (2.75 lb) sweet potatoes
8 tablespoons butter or ghee 125g (1 stick for the US)
2 tablespoons butter for topping onto the mash
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (broth)
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice
3 slices of tomato
Peel and quarter sweet potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.
Sauté onions in butter for 5 minutes and then add the rest of the vegetables, Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add minced (ground) lamb to a large casserole dish. Add salt and pepper and mix in the vegetables.
Mash the sweet potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.
Distribute the mashed sweet potatoes on top of the mince and vegetables. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Place little knobs of butter on top of the mash. Top with tomato slices.
Cook in 190 C (400 F) degree oven heated through with the top nice and brown (about 30 minutes). Grill (broil) for last few minutes if necessary to brown.
My Kenwood with Mincer attachment, I love it

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