City-Girl Shepherds Pie

As a kid I was never all that fond of the bottom of the shepherds pie, I liked the crunchy part on top and the mashed potatoes (crunchy being where the potatoes browned a little) but something about the veggie/meat mix never quite appealed to me. Generally I'm a casserole skeptic, I know many people probably are tuning out right about now but hold out, I may not be a completely lost cause. In the last few years I've actually started to appreciate the finer points of some tasty casserole, but it has to be on my terms. Strangely my terms don't make a lot of sense as I seem to make them not when it's cool outside and a nice warm dish sounds good or when I'm short on time, nope I make them in the summer...or on a Saturday when I have all the time in the world to cook. Oh well, I never claimed to be normal : )

In the last year or so I've actually started to enjoy a Shepherds Pie through to the entire dish, here's my take on the classic:




A City-Girl's Shepherds Pie

3 Medium Red Potatoes
3 Medium Purple Potatoes
1lb Ground Lamb
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Finely Chopped Rosemary
1 1/2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tsp Flour
1/2 Cup Minced Onion
1/2 Cup Diced Carrot
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1/2 Cup Beef Stock
Olive Oil

1. Par boil potatoes. Allow them to cool enough to touch, then slice into thin rounds (maybe 1/4-1/2 inch thick)
2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add garlic and ground lamb, cook stirring frequently until lamb is well browned. Season with salt, rosemary and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of flour over mixture, stir again and cook another 5 minutes. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Add onion and carrot to pan, cook over moderate heat for 5-7 minutes or until onion begins to take on brown, caramelized color. Add remaining flour and stir. Increase heat slightly and add wine and stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any bits. Cook until liquid is reduced by half.
5. Add lamb and stir another 5 minutes.
6. Grease a casserole dish well and spread lamb/veggie mix on the bottom. Layer potatoes in rows over the top then very lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes (or until potatoes are golden brown).