Shepherd's Pie is a dish made in England that consists of a savoury mince (ground beef) in gravy bottom topped with mashed potato and baked in an oven to brown. The mince is traditionally lamb (hence "shepherd") although many people prefer to make it with beef mince.
Recipe
Brown the mince in a fying pan. Do not add oil, mince is fatty enough.Chop a couple of onions, and lightly fry in a little butter until clear. Add the onion to the mince along with some mixed herbs, and pepper. Cover with water and simmer for 30 mins. Meanwhile peel, chop and boil the potatos for 20 mins until cooked.
Once the meat is cooked, skim off the excess fat then boil rapidly to reduce the liquid until it just covers the mince and onions. Thicken the water with gravy granuals [It should be very thick]. Alternatively, drain off all the water and add thick homemade gravy
Drain the potatos very well until completely dry. Mash with a masher until smooth and free of any lumps. Add butter, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add enough milk to make the mash very soft.[Heavy mash will not float properly on top of the mince]. Note: adding the butter and milk to the potatos before they are properly mashed is the best way to make lumpy mash
Put mince mixture in a shallow ovenproof dish. Spread mash on top and spike the top with a fork. Cook in a hot oven for about 30 -50 mins until top is golden brown. Serve with peas or beans.
