Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional English delicacy that gained its popularity in the 18th century, after the introduction of potatoes into England. From foodtimeline, it explains that:

Shepherd’s Pie, a dish of minced meat (usually lamb, when made with beef it is called “Cottage Pie”) topped with mashed potatoes was probably invented sometime in the 18th Century by frugal peasant housewives looking for creative ways to serve leftover meat to their families. It is generally agreed that it originated in the north of England and Scotland where there are large numbers of sheep–hence the name. The actual phrase “Shepherd’s Pie” dates back to the 1870s, when mincing machines made the shredding of meat easy and popular.

Shepherd’s Pie is similar to Cottage Pie and a casserole. One can easily substitute minced lamb with beef, pork or chicken, depending on his/her likings and needs. It is a simple yet satisfying meal for oneself and at the same time, convenient yet appealing dish for parties. On top of that, the pie can be prepared well before hand, giving you ample time to prepare for parties.

For my own personal version of shepherd’s pie, I use either minced pork or chicken instead of beef and lamb. And I like to add diced bacon as well. For the vegetables, I used onions, cabbage, lettuce and/or carrots (if I have them on hand) and sometimes a little button mushrooms here and there.

First, peel and quarter the potatoes. For one single serving, use a medium-large potato or two small-medium potatoes. Bring it to boil with cold salted water and cook the potatoes until soft (you will know it’s done when you can pierce it with fork with ease). Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly before mashing them up with a fork or potato masher. Add in a knob of butter and a few tablespoonfuls of milk (up to own liking) and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil/butter in a non-stick shallow frying pan. Stir-fry the chopped onions till soft and translucent before adding in the vegetables and cook according to their cooking time – carrots, cabbage, corns, peas etcetera. Heat through (don’t worry if they are not cooked yet) and then stir in the minced meat of your choice – lamb, beef, chicken, pork, turkey etcetera. Fry until the meat is no longer pink in colour.

At this stage, add a little chicken/beef/vegetable stock or wine and cook till the vegetables are softened, ensuring that there mixture is moist but not wet nor dry. Transfer the meat mixture into ramekins / pie dishes and cover the top with mashed potatoes (you can also pipe mashed potatoes on top for a more decorative finish, but seriously, I don’t really bother). Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes and bake for 25-30 minutes till the top is browned all over.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

(For more detailed recipes, just google them up)

Shepherd’s Pies are flexible, fun and easy to make. I’m a HUGE potato lover and if you are one too, this dish is a must-try for you!

P.S. I’ll be working for the rest of this week until Friday, so there probably won’t be any updates for these days. But I already have one cake on standby! It’ll probably be up over the coming weekend!