Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a dish I've enjoyed in various restaurants, but this was my first attempt at preparing it myself. I selected a recipe from my new Cook's Country Cookbook, and cooked it in my new dutch oven. The dutch oven was a delight to use and a dish-saver; for this recipe, I was able to sauté, boil, bake, and broil in it, and then cover and transfer the leftovers to the refrigerator.

Filling:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 lb ground beef
Salt and pepper
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c heavy cream
1 3/4 c low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c beer
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 c frozen peas


Topping:
2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-in pieces
Salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 c heavy cream, warmed
Pepper
1 large egg


Filling:
Heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 8 min. Add meat, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook until browned, about 12 min. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 min. Add the cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 min. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick but saucy, 15 to 20 min. Remove from heat, stir in the peas, adjust the seasonings as needed, and transfer to broiler-safe 2-quart casserole dish (we just left it in the dutch oven).

Topping:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, and water to cover to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 min. Drain the potatoes, return to saucepan, and mash potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over the filling, using a spatula to smooth the top. Brush with egg and drag a fork across the top to make ridges. Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 min. Turn on broiler and cook until top is golden brown, 3 to 5 min. Remove from oven and cool for 10 min. Serve.

The filling was flavorful, and I really enjoyed the texture of the potatoes.

The topping and filling can be prepared simultaneously.

Simmering the filling...

Fresh from the broiler with my new oven mitts! I got a little artistic with the potato ridges.

1 comment:

  1. This looks sooooo tasty! What a good looking dutch oven! ;)

    ReplyDelete