All of us food bores know that real shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb. If it’s made with beef, it’s cottage pie. According to the ever-reliable (!) Wikipedia, the term “cottage pie” has been around since 1791, where leftover beef would be used by the poor cottage-dwellers as a pie filling. “Shepherds pie” came along about a hundred years later, as a cheekily-named lamb equivalent.
Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb left over from a roast. The pie in these pictures comprises not only the leftover lamb, but the leftover gravy too; this gives the pie a rich and deep flavour. I’d go so far as saying it’s worth roasting lamb joint just to make this pie!
Ingredients
- 500g minced lamb, leftover if possible
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 sticks celery, chopped
- 250ml beef stock, or leftover gravy topped up with water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt & pepper
- 900g potatoes
Method
- If you’re using leftover lamb, chop it finely rather than mincing it. This ensures there’s a bit of texture in the finished dish. Heat a little olive in a pan and brown the lamb and onion. Add the carrot and celery and fry for a minute more.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the potatoes) and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes.
- While the lamb filling cooks, pre-heat the oven to 200°C and prepare your spuds. Boil the potatoes until tender, then mash with a little milk and plenty of butter and seasoning. You could also add an egg yolk which will enrich the mash and give it a great golden colour while it browns.
- Transfer the lamb mixture to an oven-proof pie dish. Spread the mash on top and use a fork to make a rough surface. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the pie is golden brown. Serve with some piccalilli or some buttered peas.
Variations
- Roast Lamb - Add 2 minced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary and a glass of red wine while you’re frying the lamb. Serve with minted peas on the side. All the flavours of a classic lamb roast in one dish.
- Cottage Pie - Substitute the lamb for beef and add a small bottle of stout and reduce. Some finely chopped thyme would be a nice addition to this also.
Serves 4.
I roasted a shoulder of lamb recently and got it together to make an excellent stock from the bones, which I then put in the freezer for later use. Lamb stock has quite a strong flavour and is not as “all-purpose” as chicken or beef stock; it is generally used only in lamb dishes. The stock is well worth the effort and you can use it as a base for a delicious Irish stew.
Irish stew is the perfect example of how good quality ingredients can taste amazing when cooked very simply. Lamb, vegetables and a good stock can produce a magical flavour. Some purists might baulk at the idea of putting carrots and thyme in an Irish stew but they give a great flavour. Give it a try.
Ingredients
- 8 small lamb chops ( I used loin chops, you could use neck or gigot)
- 6 medium sized potatoes, halved
- 3 sticks celery, quartered
- 3 large carrots, quartered
- 750 ml lamb or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp pearl barley
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Trim the excess fat from the chops. You can leave the chops whole, but I like to cut each chop into large pieces.
- Place all of the ingredients in a large cast-iron casserole or pot, then top up with water to just cover the meat and veggies. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cover the casserole, bring to a gentle simmer and leave for 1.5 - 2 hours. Check the seasoning and add some chopped fresh parsley.
Serves 4.
Leftovers
If treated right, leftovers can be more impressive than the original meal. To the leftovers of this stew I added 500ml of hot vegetable stock and whizzed with a stick blender. I added some frozen peas, broad beans and some chopped flat-leaf parsley. The results were absolutely wicked.
As far as I’m concerned, spring lamb is at it’s peak right now in terms of tenderness and flavour. I don’t like to mess with a tried and trusted formula; it’s got to be mint sauce with my lamb. Here’s a good recipe to accompany your gigot.
Ingredients
- a good handful of mint leaves
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp English mustard
- salt & pepper
Chop the mint leaves finely and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add more seasoning if you like. That’s it.
Souvlaki is basically a posh lamb kebab. The trick (as I discovered) is to use very lean lamb. Because the lamb is cooked very quickly, any fat present doesn’t have time to cook out, leaving you with a chewier kebab than you may like. It’s not a bad combo, not sure if I’d try it like this again though.
Ingredients
- 350g lean lamb pieces
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 pitta breads
