My BEST Shepard's Pie

is now going to be YOUR best Shepard's Pie.

Hi everyone (I say sheepishly), I know you haven’t heard from me in a while. I think of you often if that counts for anything. This week I put pen to paper on how exactly I make my Shepard’s Pie because I’m going to add it to the menu at Olivia’s. I thought you all might want the skinny…

The Method:

1. Boil potatoes

2. Make a super savory meat and veggie filling

3. Mash those potatoes

4. Put the filling in a casserole, top with creamy mash & bake.

Equipment:

• pot to boil potatoes

• large skillet OR Dutch oven

• Bowl to mash

• Potato masher, ricer, food mill or electric hand mixer

• Casserole Dish, Pie Plate or even a 10” Cast Iron Skillet: 9x13 is the biggest I’d go for casserole dish. A little smaller is better so your “pie” is thicker.

Note about the optional egg yolks in the mash: Adding egg yolks to the potato mash topping adds a few things: richness. It helps thicken and stabilize the topping for a cleaner cut once cooked. And you get more of a golden brown top in the oven. Some people even broil their pie a little. I am leaving them out of mine because we have customers with egg allergies and I don’t want to ostracize them for this one ingredient that not absolutely necessary. So I’ll leave this one up to you.

The Recipe:

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

• 1 small - medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 1 large carrot, finely diced

• 1 large celery stalk, finely diced

• 1 large garlic clove (2 if they are smaller), minced

• small sprig of rosemary

• 1 pound ground lamb, beef, or a mix (I did a 50/50 mix)

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup Guinness beer or red wine

• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock (bonus if it’s homemade)

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized, big chunks

• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 egg yolks (optional)

Method:

1. Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil, drop in your potatoes and boil until they are very tender. About 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your potato chunks. Test them with a fork or small knife.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil, onion, carrot and celery and saute for 5-8 minutes until the veggies are soft. Add the garlic and small sprig of rosemary (whole!) and saute for another minute. Add the beef, lamb, tomato paste, salt and allspice. Cook, stirring often to break up the meat, for about 10 minutes until the meat is cooked and starting to brown. Sprinkle on the flour and stir it in.

3. Pour in the beer or wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan, releasing any stuck on bits. Pour in chicken stock and stir well. Let the filling simmer for about 5-8 minutes until it’s very thick and some of the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat. Pull out and discard the rosemary. Stir in the frozen peas (no need to defrost first).

4. Place the butter in a large bowl and place the hot potatoes right on top to let it melt. After a few minutes, the butter will be melted, add the heavy cream and salt. This is when you’d add the egg yolks if using them. Mash using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer. The mixture should be a little looser than your average mashed potatoes but not watery. Mash until smooth, a few lumps are absolutely fine.

5. Heat the oven to 400° (convection if you have) while you assemble. Scrape the filling into your chosen casserole or oven safe pan. Dollop the mash on top in a few different places then smooth it out with a spoon or rubber spatula.

6. Place the pie on a sheet pan that is lined with parchment or foil. This is to catch any of the filling that may bubble over - way easier to clean up! Bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes have a more golden appearance. Let cool for at least 20 minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead: there are many parts of this recipe that can be made ahead.

• Make the filling a day ahead. No need to heat it up before putting it in the casserole dish.

• Make the potato mash topping a day ahead. I’d recommend warming it up to make it easier to spread on the filling. You may want to thin it slightly with cream if it’s thickened a lot.

• Assemble it all earlier in the day and bake it off an hour before dinner.