shepard's pie, oh my!

stefan made this dish for the first time back in april (read about it here) and it was so delicious (creamed potatoes and rich filling!) that we asked him to make it again a little while ago when springtime was still unseasonably chilly.  i have wanted to share it with you ever since, despite the lovely warm weather we are now having.  i hope you will try it. kai and i eat it up! now over to stefan...

comfort food. i have a passion for cooking and eating it. stews, braises, curries, thick soups and other dishes that warm and nurture. winter time is usually when i indulge, sometimes putting a pot in the oven in the morning and not taking it out until much later in the day. i do cook comfort food in the summer as well sometimes. the weather has been very iffy lately with streaks of sunshine followed by cold winds and drenching rain. i spent two hours on the soccer field on saturday morning watching kai run his little legs off which is great for him but with the wind still cold and the sun nowhere to be seen, i wasn't particularly comfortable in my optimistic t-shirt and thin jacket. so as i was standing there fantasizing about the warm interior of my favorite coffee shop, i decided to make some comfort food that day. i had recently come across a great recipe (from cook's magazine again!) and it was time to revisit it. a rich, thick meat sauce covered with mashed potatoes finished to a golden brown under the broiler. yes, it was time! this recipe is fairly labor intensive so takes about 1-1.5 hours in the kitchen. not the speediest dish to make but the result is oh so worth it.

 



shepard's pie

ingredients:
 

1.5 pounds extra lean ground beef

2.5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" cubes

1 bunch green onions, green parts only, sliced

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg yolk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

100 grams white mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

a generous splash of port or madeira (optional, can use water)

2 tablespoons flour 

1 1/4 cup beef stock

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons corn starch

what to do:

put the ground beef in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. mix and let sit.

put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. drain then return to pan over low heat. let sit for about a minute, shaking the pan. this will steam off any remaining liquid.

mash the potatoes thoroughly, the best thing is to use a potato ricer but an old fashioned  masher will do nicely as well.

mix the egg yolk into the milk, then add the butter and the milk to the potatoes. mix thoroughly. fold in the green onions and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Cover and set aside.

in a 10" heat proof (stainless steel) skillet, heat some olive oil. add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes until nice and soft and brown. add the tomato paste and garlic. cook for a few minutes until the bottom of the pan forms a brown crust. add the port (or water) and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

add the flour and mix, cooking for a minute or so.

add the stock, bay leaf, thyme and carrots. mix it all together and bring to a simmer.

drop in the ground beef in small pieces. cover and simmer for 12 minutes, breaking up the beef with two forks halfway through.

mix the cornstarch with two teaspoons cold water. drop into the sauce and simmer for another minute. take the pan off the heat.

put the mashed potatoes into a piping bag or use a large ziplock bag with one of the corners snipped off. pipe the potatoes evenly across the sauce and smooth out with a spoon. use a fork to create crisscross ridges.

put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler for 10 minutes or so. keep an eye on it, take it out when the potatoes are nice and golden brown. let cool for 10 minutes and serve!