Shepherd's Pie
Savory ground lamb and vegetables in a rich gravy, blanketed under a golden mashed potato crust. Cold-weather comfort at its most satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 lbground lamb
- 1 mediumyellow onion(finely diced)
- 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 3 mediumcarrots(peeled and diced small)
- 2 stalkscelery(diced small)
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
- 1 cupbeef or lamb stock
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves(or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tspfresh rosemary(finely chopped)
- 1 cupfrozen peas
- 1 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 lbrusset potatoes(peeled and quartered)
- 4 tbspunsalted butter
- ½ cupwhole milk(warmed)
- 1 tspkosher salt(plus more to taste)
- ½ tspblack pepper(plus more to taste)
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- 02
Place the 2 lb russet potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until completely tender when pierced with a fork, about 18–20 minutes.
- 03
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the 4 tbsp unsalted butter and ½ cup warmed whole milk, then mash until smooth. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Set aside.
- 04
While the potatoes cook, heat a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the 2 lb ground lamb and cook, breaking it up, until browned and no pink remains, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan.
- 05
Reduce heat to medium. Add the 1 medium yellow onion, 3 medium carrots, and 2 stalks celery to the lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes.
- 06
Add the 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, and 1 tsp fresh rosemary. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 07
Stir in the 1 tbsp all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute to coat the meat and vegetables.
- 08
Add the 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine.
- 09
Pour in the 1 cup beef or lamb stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the gravy thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- 10
Stir in the 1 cup frozen peas. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 11
Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over the lamb filling, spreading to the edges to seal. Use a fork to rake the surface into ridges — these will brown and crisp in the oven.
- 12
Bake at 400 °F for 20–25 minutes, until the potato crust is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
- 13
Let the pie rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set slightly.
Adapted from public domain & community sources