Ingredients:
- 1 pound Ground Lamb
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 medium chopped white onion
- ½ cup grated Carrots
- ½ cup boiled Peas
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 3 tsp fresh thyme
- 3 tsp fresh Rosemary
- ½ cup Lamb Stock
- ¼ cup Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mashed Potato Topping:
- 3 large Potatoes
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup lukewarm Milk
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Topping and Baking:
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions:
Ground Lamb and Vegetable Base:
- Place a sauté pan over the stove and add 2 tbsp of oil.
- Add finely chopped onion to the skill and sauté it at medium to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- When onions turn a soft golden color, add the ground lamb to it. Cook the lamb thoroughly with constant stirring until it changes its color to brown. There should not be a lot of fat in the lamb; otherwise, it will make the shepherd’s pie very greasy.
- Once the meat is cooked, add in ½ cup of grated carrots and ½ cup of boiled peas to it. You can also use store-bought frozen peas in place of fresh ones. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
- Mix the vegetables well and add three minced cloves of garlic and 3 tsp of fresh thyme and rosemary each. The fresh herbs will enrich the flavor and give it a characteristic aroma. If you cannot find any fresh herbs at hand, dried Italian herbs can also be used but reduce their quantity by half.
- Now, add ¼ cup of tomato paste and gently mix the lamb and vegetable mixture. Tomato will impart a slight tangy taste to your classic shepherd’s pie.
- Add ½ cup of lamb stock and 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and simmer it for a while with constant stirring.
- Add 3 tbsp of flour to condense the liquid part of the base further and make it more favorable. Give it a final stir, and your base is ready.
Mashed Potatoes Topping:
- Rinse and peel three large potatoes.
- Cut them into large slices and boil till soft. Drain the potatoes.
- Mash the boiled potatoes with a potato masher or a hand mixer to a rough mash.
- Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper to the mashed potatoes along with ¼ cup of lukewarm milk and using a hand mixer or potato masher, turn it into a creamy texture.
- Now, add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese to mashed potatoes. Mix the potatoes well with a spatula.
Topping and Baking:
- Take a 9 by 13 casserole dish; add ground lamb and vegetable base to it generously and stuff it with creamy mashed potatoes on top of it. Make sure to cover the whole surface of the ground lamb and vegetable mixture.
- Add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese on top of mashed potatoes.
- Pre-heat oven at 375 F and bake uncovered for 20 to 35 minutes. Your classic shepherd’s pie is ready.