| REVIEWED RECIPES |
| More popular recipes... |
| FEATURED |
| SPECIAL RECIPES |
| More featured recipes... |
 RECIPE COLLECTION |
| 30 Minutes or Less · Budget Stretchers · Cook's Favorites · Country |
| SHEPHERDS PIE (BRITISH) | |
|
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 |
Related recipes
recipesSPREAD THE LOVE - SHARE THIS RECIPE | |||
| Print recipe: | Printer-friendly version | ||
| Link to recipe: | Copy | ||
| Email recipe to: | |||
recipe reviews #109746
Jean (Arizona) says:
This is funny considering that British "cuisine" is a running joke. It's right up there with German cooking.
#111885
Dan Gilorma (Pennsylvania) says:
Whats all the hub-bub about? I have had occasion to have both the "American" shepherds pie (w/o cheese) and the British style with lamb. I must say I'm partial to the beef pie, I guess because that's what I had for lunch 1 day a week in elementary school. Well I'm 65 y/o now and what I have found is as you age your pallet changes with you. I find the beef pie takes me back and is comforting, while the English pie is a much more complex flavor AND BOTH are delicious in their own right. So make what you like and love what you eat!
#113106
Coco (Florida) says:
Dear dear Neil from England,
Thank you for informing us the proper UK way to make shepherds pie, as I did not know there was any difference between an American version (which I do enjoy) as compared to the British version (yours, which I also enjoy) with which you have graced our cooks.com website and both of which I have only made in oven and never on the range. And thank you as well for the information on the appearance of the pie, as I know and most cooks do that authentic appearance nationally matters.
God bless your life and cooking!
Sincerely, Coco
Thank you for informing us the proper UK way to make shepherds pie, as I did not know there was any difference between an American version (which I do enjoy) as compared to the British version (yours, which I also enjoy) with which you have graced our cooks.com website and both of which I have only made in oven and never on the range. And thank you as well for the information on the appearance of the pie, as I know and most cooks do that authentic appearance nationally matters.
God bless your life and cooking!
Sincerely, Coco
#114586
Maria Ritter (New York) says:
This is great, easy, and very tasty. I add peas in another layer before the potatoes. Must say - guess I am not that sensitive - never took the comments as "snobby", just true.
#115514
Eric (Massachusetts) says:
I completely disagree with Clara and Tami. I found your comments to be thoroughly informative and entertaining.
I am an American and do suffer from the affliction you speak of regarding cheese.
Thank You
I am an American and do suffer from the affliction you speak of regarding cheese.
Thank You
#115963
Joe SixPack (Rhode Island) says:
To all the people whining about the "tone", I suggest you demand an immediate FULL REFUND of all monies paid. Oh wait...
In that case, build a bridge and get over yourselves. It's like TV. No one is forcing you to come back. Sheesh!
Hey Neil, thanks for the recipe. I want to make something original for a day-after Christmas potluck. I'm going to give this one a try.
JSP
In that case, build a bridge and get over yourselves. It's like TV. No one is forcing you to come back. Sheesh!
Hey Neil, thanks for the recipe. I want to make something original for a day-after Christmas potluck. I'm going to give this one a try.
JSP
#116075
Martha Symons White (Missouri) says:
Though I feel the overall tone a bit, well snobbish, I do appreciate this recipe. Neil, please know, that not all American's are ignorant to British ingredients. I happen to know what Bisto is. Though I was born and raised in the USA, my family came from the British Isles. That being said, there are many variations of Shepherds pie in this world. Lamb can be quite expensive here, so my mother did often use ground beef. I have used ground turkey and a combo russet potato and sweet potato for the mash. However, I never put cheese on it, but that's because my mother never did. I happen to love cheese. I appreciate your recipe, Neil and others as well. Thank-you.
#117958
Coconut (Florida) says:
I made the recipe as it stands and it is delicious. The sheer high number of comments makes it clear so many of us ARE paying attention to each other and that is great!
NOW if only Americans could get their government to stop growing itself and cease spending on itself (for instance, why does the president need a beer distillery in the Whitehouse at government (taxpayer) expense?) Come on America. Neil feels strongly enough about the way American cooks put together shepherds pie to keep his culture alive and intact, let us all do the same and demand our congress etc give back control of our nation to the tax payers.
WE need to control the kitchen so no one roasts us alive.
NOW if only Americans could get their government to stop growing itself and cease spending on itself (for instance, why does the president need a beer distillery in the Whitehouse at government (taxpayer) expense?) Come on America. Neil feels strongly enough about the way American cooks put together shepherds pie to keep his culture alive and intact, let us all do the same and demand our congress etc give back control of our nation to the tax payers.
WE need to control the kitchen so no one roasts us alive.
#120514
Angela (Pennsylvania) says:
I sent this recipe to my British Fiancé who will be very happy to see the record set straight on what Shepherd’s Pie actually is. He's been very disheartened by the number of ways we Americans fool with authentic British food. Not only has cheese been added to some recipes, but other ingredients such as corn, BBQ sauce, corn chips, ketchup, sour cream, cream cheese, stuffing mix, Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, salsa, I could go on. Knowing my Fiancé I've come to appreciate that not only should we be aware of what the classic dishes actually are, but also leave a good thing well enough alone. Or at least don't call it Shepherd’s Pie.
#120535
Steve (United Kingdom) says:
British version of a cheese steak.
1 tin of Spam
1 can of mushy peas
Grated Blue Stilton
Generous amount of brown sauce
Two 1inch thick but ends from a large loaf
Cook to taste
Well, if you lot can mess around with a British recipe and still call it Shepherds Pie then you won't mind if we do the same to an American one.
1 tin of Spam
1 can of mushy peas
Grated Blue Stilton
Generous amount of brown sauce
Two 1inch thick but ends from a large loaf
Cook to taste
Well, if you lot can mess around with a British recipe and still call it Shepherds Pie then you won't mind if we do the same to an American one.
#120909
How I am going to (Arizona) says:
So what am going to call the dish I make tonight. I am going to make it just as he does.. but substitute the lamb for buffalo! And yeah.. no cheese. Just because the cheese would counteract the lean meat I am going to use.
#121175
Bob Cain (Florida) says:
I enjoyed your comments very much, and sometimes even Americans need to be instructed into the proper way to prepare and enjoy British cooking. I believe we have learned how to do this because we do not have a British palate, that is, one that has not been refined by other cultural means. No matter how cheesy this sounds, I prefer traditional British recipes when I need to be slapped into reality that food can taste like that, and can learn to be loved as it has been for many years, by the British. That said, this is the best shepherds pie recipe ever. Thank you Neil.
#121303
Gary (Virginia) says:
so we get it, you don't like cheese, but you don't rule the world!!!
#121442
June (Idaho) says:
No problem with the recipe. It only makes sense that shepherds pie would be made with lamb, not beef.
#121501
Helen (Qatar) says:
WONDERFUL recipe - thanks so much Neil! My mother made this pie exactly the same way for many years (I am an Aussie!). I am now living in the Middle East and fortunately we get Aussie lamb (oh and NZ too but OF COURSE it ain't as good as Aussie! haha).... so I will be making this very soon. Our supermarket here supplies many Aussie and UK products too and I use Bisto gravy granules all the time.. great taste btw! So I am set.... BUT... Hilarious all these crazy comments and people actually being rude and totally unreasonable with their opinions, not only about your post but each other's posts! Most amusing if you read through the lot! LOL Keep on cooking mate! Love it!
| — REVIEW PAGE — |
| Prev15253555662Next |
| ADD YOUR REVIEW |
Related recipe search
recipe search| RECIPE PULSE |
| TRENDING NOW |
—Recipe Index—
Appetizers · Beverages · Breads · Cakes · Candies · Casseroles · Cookies · Desserts · Eggs · Favorites · Fish · Fruits · Holidays · International (A-I) · International (J-Z) · Italian · Main Dishes · Meats · Mexican · Outdoor · Pastas · Pies · Potatoes · Poultry · Salads · Sauces · Soups · Vegetables