the essential elements of shepherds pie.

[wargarden]

what are essential elements of a great shepherds pie?

[suffolk]

I use ...

A generous amount of cold roast leg or shoulder of lamb, chopped finely with a knife or coarsely minced (not in a processor).

1 or 2 chopped brown onions (depending on size and amount of meat used)

1 or 2 coarsely grated main crop carrots (depending on size as above )

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Good well-seasoned stock

Sufficient fluffy mashed well flavoured potatoes (I prefer to use Maris Piper or King Edwards) with a little cream and butter beaten in ... enough to cover the filling to a depth of about 1.5”

[Prettykiwicrazy]

Only two, lamb mince cooked in a thick, flavourful gravy and a mashed potato topping. Any additional veg added to the mince or cheese on potato optional but not essential

[earthmaiden]

Baked in the oven with lines drawn on the mashed potato with a fork so that the ridges go crispy brown.

[suffolk]

Baked in the oven with lines drawn on the mashed potato with a fork so that the ridges go crispy brown.

Of course!!!

[liketocook]

As above but with with some peas in the mix and extra gravy. Has to have a properly crispy " thatch" and extra gravy to pour over it. Ideally served with lots of well buttered cabbage (any type will please me). I'm equally fond of cottage pie made in the same way with beef and this veggie friendly version is gorgeous https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/gol ... pherds-pie .

[Badger's mate]

Like Suffs, I generally use leftovers. If I'm making a cottage pie I might bulk out the shredded roast beef with leftover cooked mince if there's any in the freezer. For shepherd's pie though, it will be shredded roast lamb, leftover gravy, chopped onion and garlic. We often have it as a dry dish with pickles & salads rather than veg. I'm very fond of Patak's aubergine pickle with Shepherd's pie.

[Seatallan]

I like to include leeks in my potato topping (softened in a bit of butter first).

Love shepherd's pie...

I'm very fond of Patak's aubergine pickle with Shepherd's pie.

Me too! In fact, I'm fond of Patak's aubergine pickle with most things! I do make aubergine pickle (Mamta's recipe) too.

[wargarden]

here they seem to put sweet corn in the dish with mixed veg.
lamb or mutton is the meats most often used.
sometimes minced, chili meat grind or other times in small cubes.
the mash is usually forked scored and toasted
the sauce runs gambit personal i make my own but it varies.

I did see someone do it all in ball of mashed once and like dumpling.
But that was wild one; each were size golf balls. served on metal cooking skewers
they remind me of Takoyaki (octopus balls) I had at Japanese place.
not sure how she made them so mashed held together when she cooked them.

[earthmaiden]

That sounds like a kind of rissole but it does sound rather nice. Maybe egg would hold it together?

[StokeySue]

In my house shepherd’s pie is known as “made with real shepherds” if made from leftover roast and gravy. If made from butcher’s mince it’s considered a sub for the real thing

I find it’s ok to chop cooked meat in a food processor, though it makes a mess of raw meat

Sorry. LTC, if shepherd’s pie served to me in a pub had peas in it, I’d consider sending it back!

[Prettykiwicrazy]

Lamb or mutton has to be used otherwise it's not a shepherds pie.

I wouldn't mind peas at all in mine but definitely not sweet corn

[earthmaiden]

I like the odd pea in it - but prefer cottage pie really. When I was growing up we endured other dishes made from leftover roast meat so I have only really had these 'pie' dishes made from scratch with the appropriate mince. One of the things about roast lamb at home (which I love) is that I am not so keen on many of the things which can be done with the leftovers, MIL just did another roast with the meat cooked in gravy which was a good solution IMO.

[wargarden]

StokeySue In my house shepherd’s pie is known as “made with real shepherds”

Sue I hear there is place on fleet street run by Mrs. Lovett she makes a church pie made with priest .

[Pepper Pig]

That’s nonsense wargarden, straight out of Sweeney Todd.

The main thing about shepherds pie is that you refry the chopped lamb before adding it to the gravy/veg. And then top with the mash. Makes all the difference.

Mind you it has always been a standard joke amongst my children that my shepherds pie is rubbish and nothing like as good as the one they had at school dinners.

[StokeySue]

That’s nonsense wargarden, straight out of Sweeney Todd

I assumed he knew that and it was therefore a proper joke!

[Seatallan]

That's what I assumed too....

I've always imagined wargarden as being female- am I wrong? Wargarden?...

[wargarden]

Seatallan i am guy have stated such several times.
As for my humor. bad humor and puns are only type that does not
offend anyone.

[northleedsbhoy]

Seatallan i am guy have stated such several times.
As for my humor. bad humor and puns are only type that does not
offend anyone.

That’s certainly not the case wargarden, bad humour and puns are acceptable only if you really know a person and how they’ll react. Most folks on this board have not met or know each other so it’s impossible to gauge how they will react so it’s best to avoid any form of humour in case whoever it’s aimed at finds it offensive and reports it to a moderator.

Cheers
NLB

[earthmaiden]

I really don't think that anyone here, including Wargarden, would have thought that real priests were commonly made into pies in 21st century Britain any more than they would shepherds.

[Seatallan]

Seatallan i am guy have stated such several times.

Sorry wargarden- obviously missed that.

[northleedsbhoy]

I actually prefer a shepherds/cottage pie as just plain ordinary ‘mince and tatties’ which I was brought up on. My mum and gran never made it into a pie and I first heard of it when I moved to England. I quickly realised that this ‘wonder’ dish that everyone raved about was just in fact a dish I had eaten regularly albeit made differently.

I still prefer mince and tatties and I don’t have any essential ingredients apart from mince and onion, other ingredients are added depending on what I feel like. For shepherds pie I use lamb mince because if I have a lamb joint I use what’s left for sandwiches or heat slices up in gravy.

Cheers
NLB

[Badger's mate]

For me they're two different things. Mince is made with fresh meat usually cooked with onions, carrots, peas, and either barley or 'soup mix'. It's got lots of gravy. Cottage pie and shepherd's pie, here at least, are drier dishes made from leftovers.

[dennispc]

Agree about on line forum humour. Risky, made that mistake when first started posting, so avoid it now, apart from Jokes in the Yoke section.

I can’t remember ever making a Shepherd’s pie, though can remember them as a child - greasy is my memory. When we had a housefull, a piece of lamb meant no left overs and neither of us is keen on lamb cut cold, no idea why. Like all such traditional recipes, the contents depended on what was around. How things have changed?

Last week bought 1lb of beef mince and having a leek in the fridge, used that rather than onion, plus finely chopped carrot. The ancient recipe, taken from an old village book raising money for charity, only uses 5floz of stock, I nearly doubled that. The pie bit is 2lbs of mash potato.

[Badger's mate]

It's a good job you can spell

[suffolk]

[dennispc]

[PatsyMFagan]

And definitely no shepherds in a shepherd's pie, or cottages in a cottage pie ( I'll get my coat now ! )