Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb Minced (Ground) Lamb
1 large chopped Onion
2 - 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 finely chopped Carrots
3/4 - 1 pint of Stock (Chicken or Beef)
1 Tsp Worcester Sauce
1 tsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
Ground Fennel Seed
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 large Potatoes
1/3 - 1/2 pint of Milk
1 oz Butter

Instructions:

Gently cook the lamb in a large frying pan (skillet), draining off any excess fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the fennel, stock, Worcester sauce and carrots. Simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, add a little paste made from cold water and cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken the mixture. Spread the mixture in a casserole or baking dish and place to one side.
Boil the peeled potatoes in water, salted if preferred, until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes, beating in the milk and butter until a creamy texture is achieved. Spread the potato mixture carefully over the mixture in the dish, and roughen the surface with a fork. Bake the dish in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is browned. If necessary, brown the top under the grill (broiler).
Serve with fresh vegetables such as carrots or peas.
Serves 6.

Note 1: Some of you may be surprised to see that the meat is lamb rather than beef. There are many schools of thought, but it's generally accepted that the above recipe is for SHEPHERD'S pie, whereas using beef gives you COTTAGE pie.

Note 2: For a richer flavour, substitute Guinness for half the stock. The alcohol will, of course, boil off, but the flavour and colour will remain.

Colmans of mustard game make a packaged mix to make the cooking easier. It does make it easier but IMHO it’s not as good as using the above DIY recipe.