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| SHEPHERDS PIE (BRITISH) | |
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Before we start, let us be clear and lets get it right. Shepherds pie is made with lamb, cottage pie is made with beef. Never in the history of the British isles has cheese ever come close to either. If you see cheese anywhere near a recipe for either, put it down to the USA's obsession to add cheese to anything that moves - it doesn't generally belong with meat unless you desire lead in your stomach, this said. 1 lb. lean lamb, minced 1 large onion, sliced 1 medium carrot, chopped 1 stick celery, chopped enough beef stock to cover salt and pepper 3 to 4 tsp. corn starch or 2 Bisto (if you know what it is) and 1 corn starch 2 lb. good mashing potatoes 4 oz. (1 stick) butter salt and pepper Let's get this right and the best way: Add minced lamb into a casserole dish, add onion, carrot, celery, beef stock, corn starch and/Bisto/corn starch, salt and pepper, to taste, and stir. Cook in a slow oven, say 275°F for 2 hours. You can do all this on stove top for about 20 minutes BUT the flavor is never the same. When complete, drain off gravy and reserve.
Add back enough gravy to the meat to make it moist. Gently add the potato to the top and build up. Spread with a fork, finally making fork marks both up and down and across to form a basket like pattern. Put oven temperature at 400°F, then bake until potato is crispy and golden on the peaks (about) 30 minutes. Serve with remaining gravy and steamed cabbage (preferably Savoy, if you can get it). NO CHEESE, PLEASE. Submitted by: Neil - a Brit | |
Boil and mash potatoes with milk, butter, salt and pepper, however DO NOT make it into a wet paste. It should be firm and almost chunky.| 967 reviews | Add review Share |
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recipe reviews #51236
Nelhe (Pennsylvania) says:
Love the roasting of the lamb part of this recipe. Mutton would do well with this slow cooked style too. Thank you for your recipe Neil. I enjoyed the tenderness of the meat. But now for the rest. Maybe the problem here with the comments are they are so difinitive. Cheese is not just an American passion. Perhaps the isle that you live on has no cheese used but I have perused other "authentic" Shepherd's Pie recipes and some do use a sprinkle of cheese to top. And I must admit, it is very hard to get the dang cheese on everything that moves....maybe I'm not as born and bred American as my mother told me I was....hmmmmm. 8*)
#51306
Suzy10slvr (California) says:
I sat down with a cup of coffee to look for a recipe for jello pudding mix and peppermint patties that I thought I had at home. I never go online. I got sidetracked at the link for Shepherd's pie as I am British (US bred). My coffee is now cold and I have decided that this is WAY more entertaining that watching TV. I feel like Ive just come back from a great party!
#51365
Lisa (Michigan) says:
Can someone please edit the first line in Neil comments is it supposed to be "let's get it right". We americans use spell check with cheese on it
#51401
Chris (Nevada) says:
Thanks Neil, for keeping the recipe original for us, whether or not they understand your intent to keep the recipe traditional, I appreciate that this is a true shepherds pie and the fact that you have educated us of the differences. Thanks for the recipe.
#51460
Walton (Pennsylvania) says:
Being a Brit myself this is a good recipe for shepherds pie.
I would like to say also, that when I first was married (63 years ago) A cookbook came with my new range. It was a knox cookbook and the recipe Pumpkin chiffon pie was a favorite. Over the years the cookbook was misplaced and I have been thinking and looking for this recipe for ages, I found it again and lookout Thanksgiving you are in for a good surprise.
I would like to say also, that when I first was married (63 years ago) A cookbook came with my new range. It was a knox cookbook and the recipe Pumpkin chiffon pie was a favorite. Over the years the cookbook was misplaced and I have been thinking and looking for this recipe for ages, I found it again and lookout Thanksgiving you are in for a good surprise.
#51512
Harold (Utah) says:
My sister and I (both British) hve been making Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie for many years. We are always interested in finding new ways of doing things. We tried this "slow oven" method and are truly astounded at the improvement in the flavour. We varied the ingredients to suit our own tastes but it was soooooo good. Thank you, Neil!
#51534
Alistair (New Hampshire) says:
The recipe is actually quite authentic. However there are as many different variations in GB as there are Mothers. I had an excellent Shepherds pie in a pub in the South Downs just a few weeks ago, and it had cheese on top. Personally I don't like corn in my Shepherds Pie, but if you do, then I say go for it. There is no right or wrong way.
Cheers
Alistair (ex-pat Brit living in New Hampshire)
PS Bisto is disgusting!
Cheers
Alistair (ex-pat Brit living in New Hampshire)
PS Bisto is disgusting!
#51810
Brian (United States) says:
Was a good dish Neil- a Brit... All u guys arguing over the "tone" of a recipe.. get a life.. For u who enjoy trying new things, try this.. I use ground beef, french style green beans, carrots, and sliced black olives, with the mashed potato topping... so good... just wanna add, all these diff. ways still sound like good food to me.. all that matters :)
#51852
Mark , An All-American Mutt (Oklahoma) says:
Neil, Made the Shepherd's AND Cottage Pie both were fantastic. I applaud your passion for your traditional foods. I wish some of these nay-sayers could see what is passed off as an American Cheeseburger in other Countries. They'd change their tune in a heartbeat.
#51855
Lewis (United States) says:
Everybodys mum's had their own recipes for shepherds, each delicious to their families. My mum's, which I use to this day, is like this. Mix raw mince (ground beef) with bits of carrot, a little minced onion, salt and white pepper, a little plain mashed potatoes and beef stock to make it a little sloppy. Top it off with mashed mixed with marge and salt & white pepper, no milk. 400°F. 45 min. So there; tell your mum.
#51919
John (Virginia) says:
Think I'll just forget about the recipe and get a Whopper with cheese.
#52015
Alex smith (Oregon) says:
All the shepherd's pies I ever had included peas, or am I wrong? Or is that an American thing, which I doubt because I know the English love their peas.
#52073
Donna Dotson (Pennsylvania) says:
Get over yourselves Yanks---Neil is right. SHEPHERDS (sheep) Pie is made with minced lamb---not beef in any form (cubed, sliced or ground) and NEVER with Instant Mashed Potatoes or cheese. Do it the right way or not at all. If you do it any other way call it something else.
#52078
Kristen (Florida) says:
Okay, okay...we got your point - relax! Tried the recipe and it's delicious!
#52217
Christine (Greece) says:
I'm British born and bred and my mum and I following her death have usually used beef cause thats what I had and its fine. Hate to say that I always top mash with grated cheese, even better. Sorry. Fellow British.
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