Shepherd’s Pie is one of the most quintessentially British dishes, having derived from the 1800s dish cottage pie, which only became available and common as potatoes became a dish commonly consumed by the poor and lower-middle classes.
As a well-known dish throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, it makes sense that the great chef Gordon Ramsay would be well known for his fairly-traditional Shepherd’s Pie recipe. Having seen and dissected Ramsay’s recipe on numerous shows, we’ve taken a little spin by adding some extra cream and spices in this dish – resulting in a truly flavorful dish that makes you only wish you could have it every day!
Ingredients
For the beef mince/mixture
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large carrot, grated
1 large onion, grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp fresh thyme
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 cup Red Wine
1 cup Beef Stock
1 bag frozen peas
For the potato mash
1 ½ lbs golden potatoes, cut into quarters
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, while placing a large pot on a burner and setting to medium-high.
Add potatoes in pot with enough water to cover, and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until soft. You can either salt the potatoes at this point, or wait until they come out.
To begin the mince, heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the beef until cooked thoroughly. Strain in a colander.
Return the beef to the same skillet with onion, garlic, and carrot, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Add most of the other ingredients at this point – including tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, wine, and worchestershire sauce. Let cook until wine has greatly reduced and has taking on a bit of a sweet flavor (30 – 35 minutes).
Now add the broth and let simmer after 1-2 good stirs. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Now transfer entire beef mixture to deeper pan.
Strain the potatoes, and add to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add the cream, parmesan, butter and salt.
Smoothly spread the mashed potato mixture on top of the mince, fluff with a fork to create peaks for esthetic purposes, and sprinkle extra parmesan on top.
Bake for 20 minutes until warmed through and golden on top.
