Shepherd's Pie

Former Member

How do you make it? Obviously lamb mince, mash etc, and I have some carrots to put in. But what's the process?

I'm making it for Rich as a belated Valentine's meal next weekend, so I want it to taste good.

Former Member

Personally I:

• Dice onion, fry off in a little oil/butter to soften
• Add mince, cook thoroughly
• Make gravy stuff into cooked mince, not separately - usually some beef stock (OXO baby!), a little Worcester sauce, a little soy sauce, some herbs and spices from my cupboard, tomato puree, black pepper, marmite
• Leave it to infuse for a bit, then thicken it up with Bisto powder mixed with water so it makes a kind of thin paste, then mix in and stir
• Put in baking dish and leave it to set for a couple of hours. I find this helps the mash to not sink in to the mince
• Mash potato, add to top
• Smooth over and comb with a fork to make grooves, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and bake in oven
• With your carrots, instead of puttingthem in slice into batons, cook, drain, then melt a knob of butter with a spoon of wholegrain mustard, toss carrots in to coat and serve as a side dish instead of in the pie

Tada! I wouldn't ask for quantities though as I'm not very good with those, I'm a throw it in type of person. Also, I had a shepherds pie on Monday and it wasn't as nice as cottage (I usually make with lean steak mince but the lamb mince was going cheap) but thats personal preference I expect.

Former Member

I Love These Pies.

Former Member

Acrobat wrote: »

Personally I:

• Dice onion, fry off in a little oil/butter to soften
• Add mince, cook thoroughly
• Make gravy stuff into cooked mince, not separately - usually some beef stock (OXO baby!), a little Worcester sauce, a little soy sauce, some herbs and spices from my cupboard, tomato puree, black pepper, marmite
• Leave it to infuse for a bit, then thicken it up with Bisto powder mixed with water so it makes a kind of thin paste, then mix in and stir
• Put in baking dish and leave it to set for a couple of hours. I find this helps the mash to not sink in to the mince
• Mash potato, add to top
• Smooth over and comb with a fork to make grooves, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and bake in oven
• With your carrots, instead of puttingthem in slice into batons, cook, drain, then melt a knob of butter with a spoon of wholegrain mustard, toss carrots in to coat and serve as a side dish instead of in the pie

Tada! I wouldn't ask for quantities though as I'm not very good with those, I'm a throw it in type of person. Also, I had a shepherds pie on Monday and it wasn't as nice as cottage (I usually make with lean steak mince but the lamb mince was going cheap) but thats personal preference I expect.

Reckon you can do it with chicken stock instead? I don't have any beef, just liquid concentrated chicken or vegetable.

Former Member

the lamb should give plenty of juices, so id probs use the vegetable stock cube if you dnt have a beef or lamb cube

Former Member

I made one the other week with 500g mince, couple of carrots, bout 4 med sized pots(for the mash) and 1 large onion, plus herbs, lamb cube and a bit of flour to thicken it up...
Basically make sure you cook the onions til transparent, then chuck in mince and cook thoroughly. Throw in stock stuff, carrots, herbs. I used bouquet garni last time, which is mwah!
I usually get the pots boiling while the mince is cooking.
Once pots are ready, move the mince and carrot mix into a dish.
Mash the pots with a bit of milk/butter, splodge on top and make pretty patterns with a fork.
Pop into a preheated oven bout 200C/gas mark 6
and yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum

Former Member

Do I need to use onions? I don't really like them

Former Member

then dont put them in, simple as. That's the great thing about recipes..you can change them to your liking mmmm im hungry now!

Former Member

i was just gonna write you out my fab recipe but onions is pretty major part of it

Former Member

SuzyCreamcheese wrote: »

i was just gonna write you out my fab recipe but onions is pretty major part of it

Well as long as you can't taste them too much I'm sure I can aquire some to use .

Former Member

lacrymosa wrote: »

Cottage pie is SO much nicer than Shepherds pie

Use lots of peas and top it with cheeeesse

Lamb mince was cheaper . I also have no peas or cheese .

Former Member

I brown off the mince with some rosemary. I then make up some lamb oxo and add that to the mince with a good splash of red wine, and simmer it for a while. Add it to a dish, top with mash, and heat in the oven for a while, then serve it with whatever veg you like

Former Member

I'm not an onion fan, but have made it with and without and I reckon it tastes better with. Dice it really really thin and then they just disappear and and to the overal flavour rather than having bits of onion in it.