Hello again, my friends, and welcome to a special installment of my Blog. If you're wondering why everyone's in green, and you seem to be on the receiving end of pinches galore, then you may be unaware that today is St. Patrick's Day. Luckily for you, I've got the perfect culinary cure to get you in the right frame of mind: Shepherd's Pie!
Everyone knows someone who's Irish, at least in my experience. And even if you don't, there's a good chance that you've stumbled into an Irish pub at some point just to see what all the hype is about Guiness or Harp or any of a number of wonderful Irish offerings. And if you talk to these same people who've made Irish pubs a staple of any recreational outing, then you've probably heard at least one comment about Shepherd's Pie. Most people (and if you're not one of them, I sincerely apologize) can't rattle off more than one or two menu items typically enjoyed at Irish pubs and eateries, but in nearly all cases, Shepherd's Pie is among them. And if you're one of those people, like me, who make a point of finding the best Shepherd's Pie around, then you're certainly in the right place. This process has included a great number of disappointing experiences, but I've now eaten enough of the lovely stuff to know what pings my taste buds just right, and that's what I'm going to share with you today.
At its heart, Shepherd's Pie is lamb stew covered in mashed potatoes and then baked until golden brown. Doesn't sound too bad, right? The key in developing an amazing batch of this stuff for me was picking out which flavors resonated with me the most and accenting them. For me, this was the tanginess of Worcestershire sauce and the herby punch of fresh rosemary, both of which are among my favorite flavors. And when it comes to the potatoes, I prefer the pungent flavor of buttermilk over the sweeter style made with cream. Either way, you've got some lattitude in your own development of the flavors. The only drawback with this recipe is that lamb can get expensive, but you can certainly use good beef instead. Some people prefer it that way.
Ok, let's cut to the chase. Here's what you're going to need to get that green Irish blood pumping:
Ingredients:
-1.5 pounds of lamb or good beef - can be ground or cut by hand into a small dice. If choosing beef, I'd recommend sirloin.
-1.5 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes
-1 egg yolk
-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-1/4 cup half-and-half or buttermilk - this is where you decide if you want sweeter or more savory potatoes.
-1/4 cup sour cream - only if you decided to use buttermilk in the spuds.
-2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
-1 cup chicken or beef stock - use beef stock for an extra bold punch.
-1 cup chopped onion
-2 carrots
-2 cloves of garlic - more to taste but not to exceed 3 or 4 good-sized cloves.
-2 tsp. tomato paste
-1 to 2 Tbs. of flour
-Worcestershire sauce - at least 1 Tbs., more to taste. I always add more.
-Fresh rosemary - At least 1 Tbs. of finely chopped leaves, more to taste.
-Fresh thyme - 1 to 2 tsp of chopped leaves. Don't overdo this one or it's taste too earthy.
-1/2 each of frozen corn kernels and peas (English peas if you can find them).
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
First we'll start with the spuds. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Add them to an appropriately-sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a healthy pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil, covered. When the water boils, reduce to medium-low heat and uncover, cooking the spuds until easily pierced with a fork or crushed with tongs. Remove from heat, drain, and either mash them in the pan or place into your favorite kitchen mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer...love it!) and add your choice of half-and-half or buttermilk/sour cream, butter, yolk, and salt and pepper. Mix until smooth, taste, and adjust the seasonings so that you get exactly what you want. It would not do to have bland spuds on top of your pie, so do yourself a favor and knock this out of the park.
While the spuds rest, we'll get to the other part. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it looks shiny. Add the onions and carrots and saute until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook until the whole mix is soft and fragrant. NOTE: IF THIS MIXTURE GETS DRY, REDUCE YOUR HEAT IMMEDIATELY. Now add the lamb or beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until all the meat is browned. You don't need to kill it again, just make sure it's uniformly brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour in the mixture now and toss to coat. Cook for a minute or two to eliminate the raw flour taste, and then add your stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook for at least 10 to 12 minutes, or until the gravy looks to be the right consistency. Here's a tip: don't taste the mixture until after it's been brought up to a boil. This will do two things: maximize the thickening power of the flour, and also integrate the flavors. While it's simmering is the best time to taste and adjust seasonings.
Once you've got it where you want it, add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Now take a glass baking dish or earthenware baking dish and fill it with the meat mixture. Top with the spuds, using a spatula to press the spuds in on the sides to seal the meat in. If you don't do this, it'll bubble out and look gross. Not where you want to be. Smooth out the spuds so that they're even and pretty and bake in the oven (right in the middle) for 20-30 minutes, or until the spuds get a nice golden-brown color on top. Remove to cool and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The filling is going to be volcano-hot, so you want to give it a sec.
Now pour yourself a fitting beverage for the occasion and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As always, let me know how this one worked out for you, and feel free to share whatever adjustments you may have made to make it perfect for your palate. I look forward to your comments.
Happy St. Patty's Day, my friends!
~Aaron
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