Shepherd's Pie

So can you tell I am going back to all my photo archives and posting all the yummy recipes I've made and restaurants that I have been to all year?

This is a Shepherd's Pie that I made in February. It was AMAZING! I know this because I had 2 of my British friends come over for dinner they raved about it.

The recipe is from the March o6 Cook's Country magazine, the sister publication to Cook's Illustrated. Have I professed my love for this magazine yet? It's one of my favorite magazines! The photos are great, no advertisements, full color, easy recipes that are tasty, what more can I ask for?  You can also join the website for $3.95 per month and download all the recipes. They don't have any advertising in their magazines, so that's why they charge for access to the website.

Click through for the recipe.

Cook's Country Shepherd's Pie

Filling
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
	1 large onion, chopped fine
2	medium carrots , peeled and chopped fine
2	pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
	Table salt and ground black pepper
5	tablespoons all purpose flour
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1/4	cup heavy cream
1 3/4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup beer
2	tablespoons soy sauce
2	teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1	cup frozen peas
Topping
2 1/2	pounds russet potatoes. peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt
2	tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3	cup heavy cream, warmed
	Ground black pepper
	, 1 large egg, beaten

1. For the filling: Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 minute.

2. Add cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 minute. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick but still saucy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas, adjust seasonings, and transfer to broilersafe 2-quart casserole dish.

3. For the topping: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan, and mash potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread potatoes over filling, using spatula to smooth top (see photo at left). Brush with egg and drag fork across top to make ridges. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn on broiler and cook until top is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Make Ahead

Make the filling through step 2, but do not add the peas. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to proceed, reheat the filling in a large saucepan, stir in the peas, and transfer to a broilersafe 2-quart casserole. Proceed with the recipe from step 3.

Comments

[Amy and Jonny]

OH NO! I'm going to hide this post from my British husband. If I have to hear him complain one more time about how everyone thinks beef is the main ingredient in sheperd's pie, I'll cry. But he's right... now that I've been 'schooled' on this issue, I'm starting to become like him! A shepherd herds sheep hence the name "Shepherd's Pie". It should always contain minced lamb, NOT beef. Adding beef makes it a "Cottage Pie". It's kind of embarrassing that Cook's County mag made this mistake? I love Cooks Illustrated - they're an extremely smartly written publication... surely that had to be a typo. Just trying to spread the word to American's... Sheperd's Pie = Lamb, Cottage Pie = Beef. Thanks for reading!

[Kody]

Woohhhhh… Really great dish and I am already thinking to make it.. mostly i follow recipes of Cooking.com and ChefsCatalog.com stores at couponalbum.com.. they are also too good..