Shepherd's Pie
This Shepherd's Pie recipe features a rich, savory ground lamb filling with carrots, onions, and peas, simmered in a flavorful sauce. It's crowned with a creamy, buttery mashed potato topping, baked until golden and bubbly. A comforting and classic dish, perfect for a hearty meal.
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan For boiling potatoes
- 1 Potato Masher Or ricer for smoother texture
- 1 12-inch Sauté Pan For preparing the lamb filling
- 1 11x7-inch Glass Baking Dish For assembling and baking the pie
- 1 Rubber Spatula For smoothing the potato topping
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 carrots peeled and diced small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
- Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
For a perfectly smooth potato topping, consider using a potato ricer instead of a masher. Ensure potatoes are cooked thoroughly but not waterlogged before mashing. When browning the lamb, do so in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can steam rather than brown the meat, compromising flavor. The initial sauté of onions and carrots helps build the flavor base; don't rush this step. For a richer, deeper flavor in the filling, a splash of red wine can be added after browning the lamb, allowing it to reduce before adding broth. Always allow the finished pie to rest for at least 15 minutes after baking; this helps the filling set and prevents it from oozing out when served.