My husband was born in Dundee, Scotland, so I will have to try this authentic version of Shepherds Pie. But I must say, after reading all of the comments, that I've always considered a recipe just a starting point. Any good cook knows that you add or change things to your own taste, so to say that there is only one "right" way to make anything is a bit presumptious.

I liked it, I added garlic to it after tasting the broth and meat at the 1 hour mark in the oven though it was a tad bland. and definitely make the potatoes firm, I overcooked mine and it was a bit runny, still tasted great but it was not a pretty meal on the plate even slightly.

May I concur that Neil's recipe is authentic. Should you wish to alter/play with it then that is your choice BUT it won't be authentic in origin.
However - a tip- When making Shepherds Pie / Cottage Pie or even Lasagne or Moussaka - Leave the pie to cool slightly and set. The food will retain it's heat but will be so much easier to portion up! Bon Appetite!

I understand the reaction of some readers to the tone of this recipe. But I am very sympathetic to Neil's offering because I have seen Shepherd's Pie misnamed and poorly cooked and maligned over my entire 60 year lifetime. Shepherd's Pie is wonderful comfort food. My Welsh Mum made it for me as a boy -- and I think as a Welsh American I am in a peculiar position to comment (as some may know, the Welsh are a nation of sheep herders as well as coal miners). SO. THANK YOU NEIL. If you follow this recipe you will not screw up this wonderful dish. Shepherd's Pie is made from lamb only. If you use beef it is cottage pie. Neil's recipe is simple and correct. You can always make some changes if you have a favorite ingredient, like rosemary or maybe a little Worcestershire Sauce -- but careful they can overwhelm the dish. It is bake it at a low heat as Neil says, don't cook it fast on a stovetop! You can even make the lamb stew mixture in a slow cooker all day while you are out skiing or biking or whatever you like to do. Just add the mashers and crisp it up before serving. Cheers Neil.

Wow-28 pages of comments for a recipe! I just have to say I LOVE CHEESE on just about everything. I don't do lamb so I don't ever have to worry about trying this recipe but I did get a kick out of reading all the posts - Neil sure does know how to stir it up and I'm sure he's getting a kick out of it:-) My motto is it can only be better if you add cheese (and bacon too).

This was delicious. I changed a couple things though. I used hamburger instead of lamb and added some corn. I then topped the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes and added cheese at the last 5 mins. Was so gooood. Thanks for the recipe. We will have Shepherd's pie a lot now.

Quick question on no tomato paste/puree vs with tomato paste/puree recipes, is it traditional/british to have it? I've seen some recipes with it and was wondering if it could be a regional preference?

American here... just glad I did not have drink in my mouth or I would have spit it all over computer funny! First of all lamb in USA is very EXPENSIVE so I see why things got mixed up a bit. If my math is correct lamb price converted to uk would be 6.44 per 14 stones. Second I hope my brit bf will be ok with my obsession for cheese lmao.

I love Shepherd's pie, I will surely try this recipe in a precise manner as I was looking for somehow an original recipe, while looking for the recipe I actually found one on myreceipes website but they are using beef and call it Shepherd's pie, so many people still can't tell the difference between the Shepherd's and Cottage Pies.

Thank you so much for explaining to a Yank Cottage versus Shepard's pie. I will follow your receipe exactly. I often make steak and kidney pie from scratch (and no Americians will eat it with me; their loss entirely).

This looks great - just like the pie I used to make in England -- thanks!

If you have tasted this recipe, you don't care if Neil was rude. This recipe is fantastic! Thanks, Neil for posting and for your candor, I thought the posting was fun and right on the money.

Great post Neil. I am Canadian and I didn't feel persecuted one bit by this post. Serious cooks get it. Don't mind the drama queens. Most was identical to my method, however I will try the slow oven versus stove-top. Do you cover it in the oven? I have a nice 300g jar of Bisto calling my name that I always forget to use. I will be trying this to the tee tomorrow. I will keep you posted

Get a life ALL of you!!!! He is only defending the authenticity of his recipe, I would do that too if I was a Chef from another country.

Typical British arrogance -- no wonder they lost the colonies!