Shepherd's Pie

Crunchy goodness

I have to say my attempt at shepherd's pie last night turned out surprisingly well. I did get a little panicky at one stage when the instant gravy I added to the beef mixture did not make a difference to the taste at all. Yes, I used instant gravy. The shame! I should have known better! Never again I assure you.

In the end, I put in about two tablespoons of tomato paste and some Worcestershire sauce and it did the trick.


Meaty goodness. (Not the sexiest of shots, but hey).

Chick Pea's Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
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* 1 large onion, diced
* 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 medium carrots, diced
* handful mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 1/2kg beef mince
* 2 Tbsp tomato paste
* 4-5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 5 medium potatoes, cubed for mashing
* 1/2 cup whole milk
* Handful of grated cheddar cheese
* 1 Tbsp butter, plus a few pats for baking
* Salt & pepper

Method:
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For the mash:
* Bring water to a rolling boil
* Add potatoes & boil until soft

For the filling:
* While potatoes are boiling, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic & onions until soft
* Add carrots & toss for a few minutes until heated through
* Add mushrooms & toss until mushrooms are tender, allow some of the liquid to boil off
* Remove mixture into a bowl and add beef mince frypan
* Cook mince until cooked through (no pink bits!)
* Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and mix thoroughly
* Return cooked vegetables to pan and toss
* Add salt & pepper to taste
* Remove from heat and mix frozen peas

* Preheat oven to 180C

* Drain potatoes and return to saucepan
* Add pepper, butter & milk and mash thoroughly
* Add more milk and/or butter until the mash has a somewhat thick, sticky consistency
* Stir in 2/3 of the grated cheese

* Place beef mixture in baking dish and cover with mash
* You can decorate the mash by scoring with the tines of a fork (I didn't bother as I was a little too tipsy by then)
* Add a few pats of butter over the mash (to allow to brown in the oven), and sprinkle lightly the remaining cheese

* Bake in oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown