Phil Vickery's ultimate shepherd's pie
The perfect remedy to warm you up on a cold winter’s night, Phil’s here with the ultimate shepherd’s pie. Plus we’ll be finding out how a real shepherd makes it as we go live to meet a shepherdess from the Yorkshire Dales!
Ultimate shepherd's pie
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
4 tbsp oil
2 onions
500g lamb shoulder mince
2-3 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
Pinch dried thyme
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
Approx 300ml strong lamb or beef stock
Salt and pepper
150ml hot milk, approx
50g butter or olive oil
Pinch nutmeg
750g potatoes, raw weight, peeled, cooked and mashed, but warm
Salt and pepper
Extra mint gravy and sautéed spring greens, to serve
Method
Heat the oil and add the onion and cook for 10 minutes to slightly brown. Add the mince and break up well.
Cook until all the moisture has evaporated and the mince starts to brown in the oil and fat from the meat.
Once well browned, add the flour and mix well to soak up any fat and continue to cook until the flour browns well on the bottom of the pan.
Next add the tomato puree, thyme, Worcester sauce, and enough stock to just cover the meat.
Season well with salt and pepper and cook gently for 20-25 minutes so the flour doesn’t catch, stirring occasionally. Pour or spoon the cooked mixture into a baking dish and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Whisk the hot milk, butter or oil and nutmeg into the mashed potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. The mash should be soft but not too creamy. Spoon onto the cooled, set mince and fluff up with a fork.
When ready, cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the mash is golden and slightly crunchy and the meat is piping hot. Serve with extra mint gravy and sautéed spring greens.
Potato, sweet potato and cauliflower mash
Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients
350g potatoes, cut into 3cm chunks
350g sweet potatoes, cut into 3cm chunks
1 small cauliflower, chopped into small chunks
Approx 150ml hot milk
50g butter or olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Place both the potatoes in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender, then drain.
Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water until tender, then drain well and mash together with the potatoes.
Whisk the hot milk, butter or oil into the mash and season well with salt and pepper. The mash should be soft but not too creamy.