Everyone has a recipe or idea of what goes into a Shepard's Pie. This is my version. I like cooking with wine, and comfort food can be taken up a notch when you cook with it. A good dry red wine added to the base of this Shepard's Pie makes it a real treat for a weekend meal. I have a rule when it comes to cooking with wine, if I wouldn't drink it, I won't cook with it. Everyone has there tastes, so I won't dictate what wine to use, but if you like wine, you'll know what's best.This is another of those meals I'll be sharing with neighbours, I do warn them when some of my dishes are decadent...and this is one of them. I'm using Cream and Butter, as that what helps elevate this meal from a basic dish to something delightful.
I do add nuts to a Shepard's Pie, partially due to all that research I did on Medieval Cooking. Folks didn't eat as much meat as we do today, they added nuts to many meat based dishes to get the most out of their meals, and honestly, I do like the texture of nuts in some of the meat pies I make.
This recipe makes 10 portions of Shepard's Pie
Shepard's Pie
Filling Ingredients
1/2 lb. Extra Lean Ground Beef
3 - 4 Medium Size Carrots, Chopped
2 Slices of Onion, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Diced
1 Cup Peas (use Frozen if possible for a better result at the end)
1/4 Cup Pecans, Diced
1/4 Cashews, Diced1/2 Cup Mushrooms, Diced
1 Large Cabbage Leaf , or 1/4 Cup Chopped
1/2 Cup Red Wine1/2 to 1 Cups Cup Vegetable Stock
1/2 Cup Cream
2 TBSPS Olive Oil
Spices
1/4 Nutmeg
1/4 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Basil
1/2 TSP Pepper
Pre cook your Garlic, Mushrooms and Onions in the Olive Oil, You want the Onions and Garlic to sweat down until translucent. Add a little Vegetable Stock, Cabbage and stir.
Add your ground beef and bring it to a simmer with remaining Vegetable Stock. Drain any remaining fat once done, though there shouldn't be much.
While preparing the above, add your red wine and 1/4 cup vegetable stock to a different pan and bring to a boil. Cook it until the wine has evaporated off.
Add Carrots, Pecans, Cashews, Red Wine reduction and Spices to the ground beef, stir thoroughly and reduce heat to let it simmer. You may need more vegetable stock, I always keep extra handy.
Once most of the liquid has evaporated, remove from heat, add peas, cream, stir and cover.
Set aside and get the Potatoes for the topping going.
Please Note: the order of preparation for this meal is not important. You can make the topping at the same time, or before. It's all going in the oven.
Topping
6 Medium Sized Potatoes (I use the skins, but you can peel them if you wish. Chopped to 2" Cubes.)
1 Slice of Onion, Chopped
1/2 Cup Cream, 10%
1 TBSP Butter
1/4 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Basil
1/2 TSP Pepper
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated, to dress the tops.
Boil the Onions and Potatoes until Tender. Drain them.
Place the Onions and Potatoes back in the Pot, add Butter, Cream, spices and Seasoning, Mash them VERY well.
Pre heat your oven to 350 F
Spoon the Filling ingredients into your Baking Dish, or Dishes.
Spread the potatoes over top. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove, sprinkle cheese on top..and Voila - a decadent Shepard's PieI've baked my Shepard's Pie in individual containers, to make it easier to give them to folks or to place in my freezer. I have one ready made meal I don't have to think about, and 6 people who will be getting a decedent meal from my kitchen. Don't worry, I warn anyone when I give them food which is very rich.
It's Chicken Paprikash Pie next for this type of cooking, our regular meal tonight is going to be good old fashioned meat and potatoes.
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