General Chat

What's your secret everyone! I need a great Shephards Pie recipe. Canadians don't know how to make it right. My mum tends to throw things in without thinking of measuring etc. OK I do that too for some recipes, I admit. But, I have to bring an authentic Shephards Pie to a potluck dinner in a couple of weeks and I am stuck. My friends figure that since I was born in England I should know how to make it. I was a young teen when we came here so didn't know how to cook then. HELP!!

I use a packet of Shwarz Shepherds pie mix to add a bit of oomph to my mince,,,,cheating I know but what the hell...

Teresa, I tend not to measure things, here's what I put in mine. Carrots and onions, mince (strangely all of mine prefer beef), tomato puree, worchester sauce, salt and pepper, vegetable stock, a little flour. In the potato, I add milk, a little butter, pepper and ground nutmeg. All of mine love it, and there is never any left, so this works for me. Good luck, M.

I make my Shepherd's pie the same as Morfydd's except that I thicken the mince with a little Beef soup powder. It seems to give it more of a beefy taste. Good luck. I hope it turns out OK. Sylvia

Teresa My secret ingredient (not anymore obviously!) is a good big dollop of brown sauce - HP sauce - in the mince while it's cooking. Oh, and don't forget to put it under the grill to make the potato go all brown and crispy. Jeanette

First catch your Shepherd! The older ones are easier to catch but take more cooking. A young one will be the very devil to get into the pot but worth the effort in the long run. :0) Have fun ~ Sue

If it's an AUTHENTIC shepherds pie you want Theresa, then it has to be minced lamb. Should be the left overs from Sunday roast and any left over vegetables and gravy too! If its beef mince (or leftovers) then its cottage pie. Dierdre X

This is Delia's version and I can highly reccommend it Shepherd's Pie with Cheese-crusted Leeks This recipe can be made with either fresh minced lamb (shepherd's pie), fresh minced beef (cottage pie) or minced leftover beef or lamb from a cooked joint (in which case, cut the initial cooking time to 15 minutes). In the following recipe we're using fresh minced lamb, and what puts this dish in the five-star category is the delicious crust of cheese and leeks. Serves 4 1 lb (450 g) minced British lamb 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped 3 oz (75 g) carrot, peeled and chopped very small 3 oz (75 g) swede, peeled and chopped very small 1/2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 level tablespoon plain flour 10 fl oz (275 ml) fresh lamb stock 1 level tablespoon tomato purée salt and freshly milled black pepper For the topping: 2 oz (50 g) mature Cheddar, coarsely grated 2 medium leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) slices 2 lb (900 g) Desirée or King Edward potatoes 2 oz (50 g) butter salt and freshly milled black pepper You will also need a large lidded frying pan or saucepan, and a 71/2 inch (19 cm) square baking dish, 2 inches (5 cm) deep, well buttered. Begin by taking the frying pan or saucepan and, over a medium flame, gently heat the olive oil. Now fry the onions in the hot oil until they are tinged brown at the edges – about 5 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and swede and cook for 5 minutes or so, then remove the vegetables and put them to one side. Now turn the heat up and brown the meat in batches, tossing it around to get it all nicely browned. You may find a wooden fork helpful here, as it helps to break up the mince. After that, give the meat a good seasoning of salt and pepper, then add the cooked vegetables, cinnamon, thyme and parsley. Next, stir in the flour, which will soak up the juice, then gradually add the stock to the meat mixture until it is all incorporated. Finally, stir in the tomato purée. Now turn the heat right down, put the lid on the pan and let it cook gently for about 30 minutes. While the meat is cooking you can make the topping. Peel the potatoes, cut them into even-sized pieces and place in a steamer fitted over a large pan of boiling water, sprinkle with some salt, put a lid on and steam until they're completely tender – about 25 minutes. While this is happening, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). When the potatoes are done, drain off the water, return them to the saucepan, cover with a clean tea cloth to absorb the steam and leave them for about 5 minutes. Next, add the butter and mash them to a purée – the best way to do this is with an electric hand whisk. Don't be tempted to add any milk here, because the mashed potato on top of the pie needs to be firm. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. When the meat is ready, spoon it into the baking dish and level it out with the back of the spoon. After that, spread the mashed potato evenly all over. Now sprinkle the leeks on top of the potato, scatter the cheese over the leeks and bake the whole thing on a high shelf of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the top is crusty and golden. Bob

You take a bucketful of watery mashed potato (if you can't pour it, it's too thick) then put a thin brown line of gravy through it. Well, that's how they make it in our canteen :-/ Derek.

HeyDerek - have I ever worked in your Canteen? The recipe sounds familiar. Jacqui (I'm no cook).

Christine, you can still buy the mincers. My Nan used one of those too, clamped to the table.

Great sounding recipe Bob. You are so versatile, jokes, recipes, what next? I bet you can sing and tap dance too!!! I'm going to get a lamb roast and have Delia's shepherds pie asap, thankyou. Christine, you don't need to damage your table, just stick some felt or other padding between the clamp and table. Di.

Got the printer going as we speak. Thank your lovely wife for me Bob, the recipe sounds delicious. My family will have to be guinuea pigs for the next couple of weeks while I try these ideas out. Sue; I like your idea of catching the shephard first! Mostly cowboy cattle ranchers around here though. LOL

Definitely Worcester Sauce and tomato puree. Not veg stock, I just make up some normal gravy. Some dried mixed herbs mebbe too. Peas and carrots and mushrooms in it. Grated cheese on top - it browns up nicely in the oven without needing the grill. May not be entirely traditional but ... oooooh could just eat it now! Maz. XX

Hi Teresa, Delia is a well known British cook :o)) http://www.deliaonline(.)com/ Good luck with the cooking..... Regards Margaret

LOL I do a lot of the cooking round here and Delia and Mrs Beeton are my two helpers. Singing and dancing are definately NOT on the menu. Bob