Grandma's Shepherd's Pie - recipe

A personal take on an English classic

Shepherd's Pie ready to go in the oven

500g minced beef (yes, I know that’s cottage pie and shepherd’s pie should be lamb. Did you not read ‘personal take’?)

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, grated using the large hole side of your grater

A few mushrooms chopped into smallish (but not too small) chunks

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped not crushed

Oregano or thyme

A drop of red wine if you have some to hand

Gravy browning (or granules, if that’s what you have)

About ¼ pint of water

Small tin of baked beans

2 large baking potatoes

2-3 garlic cloves, whole

Butter and black pepper to mix

1.      Heat a large, heavy bottomed saucepan then add the mince and stir. A wooden spoon works best. I think people call it ‘browning’ these days.

2.      Add your sliced onion so it can fry in the fat the mince releases. Don’t be tempted to remove the fat, this is what gives it flavour.

3.      Add the carrot, mushroom and chopped garlic and stir some more.

4.      Sprinkle with a generous dollop of oregano or thyme and stir again.

5.      Add the red wine if you have it. Not much, half a small glass is fine. Then scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck-on bits.

6.      Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of gravy whatever, then add the water. You want enough to dissolve the gravy powder/granules, but no more.

7.      Bring to the boil (keep stirring) then cover and simmer for twenty minutes or so. You might want to check periodically that your carefully measured water is actually enough.

8.      While the mince is cooking, prepare your mash. Cut each potato in quarters, lengthways, then into 1cm slices.

9.      Put them into a pan with the whole garlic cloves and plenty of salt (don’t worry, you’re going to throw the salty water down the sink, but it will add flavour before you do.)

10.  Add enough water to cover at least ¾ of the potatoes, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so. They are cooked when your vegetable knife slides in easily.

11.  Drain and leave them to dry for a couple of minutes. Then mash with plenty of butter and black pepper.

12.  When the mince is cooked, add the tin of beans and let them heat through.

You’re now ready to assemble your pie.

1.      I use a slotted spoon to transfer my mince mixture into an oven proof dish. Then I add as much of the gravy as I feel is necessary to ensure my bottom is moist but not too runny.

2.      Spoon dollops of mash over the mince and then push it down with the back of a fork.

3.      Rough up the mash with the fork tines as you go. You can even make patterns like a Japanese gravel garden if you’re feeling creative.

4.      You can refrigerate at this point then reheat and brown all in one go in a medium oven. Or you just pop the pie under the grill right away to brown the top.

Tips:

·       You can use those old, dried-up mushrooms you sometimes find at the bottom of the fridge. Not the slimy ones though. Store them properly and they won’t go slimy. It’s paper bags you need, not plastic trays.

·       Grating the carrot allows you to hide the fact that your pie contains healthy veg. If your little loved ones spot a stray piece, tell them it’s a slither of baked bean. I find this works less well on larger loved ones but is still worth a try.

·       Use salted butter for your mash or add salt to your potatoes before you mash them. Your taste buds will thank you.

·       Don’t worry about lumps in your mash – that’s how you know it’s real.

·       You can peel your potatoes and carrot, or you can just give them a scrub under running water. If you’re worried about pesticides, grow your own or persuade a friend to take up gardening.

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