In honour of having just finished the latest Alexander McCall Smith books, "Love Over Scotland" and "The Careful Use of Compliments", I made this shepherd's pie for Sunday dinner. I don't know for a fact if they eat a lot of shepherd's pie in Scotland, but I am guessing that they might. If you have read any of McCall Smith's books, you will know what I mean when I say that he has a great sense of humour about human nature. So often, while reading one of his books, I have laughed and thought, "Isn't that the truth!".
The 44 Scotland Street series started as a serial novel written in daily episodes in The Scotsman newspaper. It revolves around a group of everyday people living in Edinburgh, and all of their ups and downs. There are now three books in this series and I think a fourth is coming out sometime this year.
I loved the Sunday Philosophy Club series right from the start. The main character is Isabel Dalhousie, an independently wealthy philosopher, living in Edinburgh, who is pretty nosy, and solves little mysteries now and again. I can't do her justice, but she is just the kind of person that I would love to know. And her niece owns a delicatessen where she can go for good food & coffee. A warning: If you decide to read either of the series, make sure you go in order.
Now back to the shepherd's pie. I ordered "Cooking with Shelburne Farms - Food & Stories from Vermont", from the cookbook club (I am trying to make a dent in my obligations to them!). One of the first recipes to catch my eye was this shepherd's pie. They use ground lamb instead of ground beef (they mention that a true shepherd's pie is made with lamb and a cottage pie is made with beef), caramelized onions in both the filling and on top of the potatoes, and cover the top in their own cheddar cheese. It was perfect for a cold, snowy, Sunday dinner.
Take your time caramelizing the onions. You want them to be golden and sweet when they are done. The potato mash is drier than the way I would normally make my mashed potatoes, but this is because of the richness of the lamb and the cheese. And speaking of cheese, I happened to have some leftover Colston Bassett Stilton from Christmas, and I crumbled that on top of the potatoes, along with some 2-year old cheddar. Lucky for us, Colston Bassett Stilton is available in Canada and the US, at better cheese shops. When I was going to cooking school, I did a big project on this exact cheese. I received 100% on that project, and I probably owe most of that mark to the fact that I had a good sized wedge for everyone to try. Check out this unbelievable Stilton at www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk
Shepherd's Pie with Caramelized Onions and Cheesy Mash
For the caramelized onions:
3 T. olive oil
2 lbs. onions, thinly sliced into rounds
1 t. kosher salt
1. In a large heavy-bottomed pan or skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low.
2. Sprinkle the onions with the salt and cook, stirring frequently to make sure they brown evenly, for about 30-40 minutes or until they are completely golden brown and soft. You should have about 1 1/2 c. of onions. Set aside.
For the potato mash:
3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the flat side of the knife
1 t. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 c. butter
3. Boil the potatoes and garlic in a large pot. Cook until the potatoes break apart easily when poked with a fork. Drain the potatoes and garlic and leave them in the cooking pot. Cover the potatoes with a clean dish towel and let them dry out for about 5 minutes (don't let the potatoes get cold or they will be a gluey mess when you mash them). Add the butter to the pot and use a potato masher to smash the potatoes and garlic until blended but not completely smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
Make the meat filling and finish the pie:
1 T. olive oil
3 medium carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 lbs. ground lamb
1 1/2 t. minced fresh thyme leaves
1 t. kosher salt
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. tomato paste (use ketchup in a pinch)
2 c. chicken or beef stock
1 c. frozen green peas
1 c. grated cheddar
3/4 c. crumbled Stilton
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet or pan set over med-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the diced carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until softened.
5. Add the lamb, thyme, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Carefully pour off all the fat and discard. Sprinkle the flour over the lamb and cook for one minute, stirring. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the stock, along with 1 cup of caramelized onions and the green peas. Increase the heat slightly and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the gravy thickens slightly.
6. Spread the lamb into a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the potatoes on top. Scatter the remaining caramelized onions over the potatoes, and then sprinkle the cheeses on top of that. Bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 20 minutes.
*I made mine earlier during the day and cooked it at 375 degrees for around 45 minutes or so. I had already sprinkled the cheeses on top so I covered the whole thing with a piece of tin foil that was sprayed with Pam. When it was close to being finished, I pulled the tin foil off and let the cheese get nice and bubbly.
*I served the shepherd's pie with a green salad and a loaf of homemade crusty olive & thyme bread. I'll save that recipe for another time!
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