British Shepherd’s Pie with Roasted Lamb

Jennifer Brizzi's Recipe Pages

British Shepherd’s Pie with Roasted Lamb

This is a bit closer to the original than the ground beef and corn version some of us grew up on. But in Ye Olde England, it would have been made with pounded mutton rather than the tender roasted leg of lamb we use here. Serves 4.

2 lb Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters if large, to be chunks a maximum of 3” across
3 or 4 whole cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed
4 tbsps butter, divided
1/2 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 ½ cups trimmed, diced, leftover roasted lamb leg (about 15 ounces) (can be coarsely chopped in food processor instead of dicing) (see Note below)
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups beef broth (substitute up to half part drippings from the roast if you have them)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch cayenne red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp sweet or hot paprika

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.

For mashed potato topping:

Put potato chunks and whole garlic cloves in saucepot in enough water to cover by 1”. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer, cover partially and cook until tender at point of knife, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash thoroughly with potato masher, and add 2 tablespoons of the butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and reserve.

For filling:

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and the onion is translucent but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add tomato paste and blend in, cooking and stirring about 1-2 more minutes.

Add lamb and toss to mix. Cook, stirring, until lamb is warmed through, about 2 minutes. It will look dry. Sprinkle flour over meat and continue to stir and mix until flour loses its raw smell.

Add beef broth gradually, stirring and scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits. Add Worcestershire sauce, thyme, allspice and cayenne and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley. Taste filling and add salt if needed, depending how salty your leftover roast meat and broth are.

Spread meat mixture evenly on bottom of 2-3 quart baking dish, then spread mashed potatoes across that, spreading all the way to edges of dish with a spatula. Drag a fork lightly across surface to make tiny ridges. Sprinkle with paprika and bake 30 minutes or until filling bubbles and top of pie is golden and crusty. Let sit 10 minutes and serve hot.

Note: If you want to cook a leg of lamb especially for this recipe, here’s how. You will have more than you need for the recipe, so enjoy a festive leg of lamb for dinner and make this a day or two later with the leftovers.

3-5 lb boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and tied

3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers

1 tsp coarse sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425° F. Rinse and dry lamb leg well. Cut deep gashes in all sides with sharp knife, and press garlic slivers into the slits. Coat leg with salt, pepper and oil and place in deep roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 ° F and cook until internal temperature is 140° for medium rare, about 1-2 hours more, or 120° if you prefer the roast quite rare, in which case increase cooking time of meat sauce above. Remove from oven and let rest 10-30 minutes before slicing—it will continue to cook as it rests. Reserve pan drippings to make gravy or use in Shepherd's Pie recipe above.

Jennifer Brizzi | P.O. Box 48 | Rhinecliff, New York 12574 | U.S.A.

jenniferbrizzi@yahoo.com