____"Shepherd's pie" might be a bit of a misnomer — there isn't any pie crust involved! But that doesn't make it any less delicious. Meat and vegetables are stewed together in a savory brown sauce, topped with mashed potatoes, and finished in the oven. It's the perfect comfort food dish for when you're feeling like something a little different.
Shepherd's Pie adapted from Dean & DeLuca
- 2 large baking potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 cup peas
Boil potatoes for about 40 minutes until cooked through. Drain. Mash them with the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until meat is browned. Season with the remaining salt, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle mixture with 2 teaspoons of the flour. Stir again and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour excess grease out of pan.
Add the onion and carrot to pan and cook over moderate heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour and stir. Increase heat slightly, and add the white wine and beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
Add meat mixture and peas. Stir well and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. (Enough of the liquid should have evaporated that the mixture is held together by a nice thick sauce.)
Butter a casserole dish or four small ramekins and spread beef mixture over the bottom. Cover the beef with the mashed potatoes and smooth the top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes, until heated through.
Image via mccun934/Flickr