Shepherd’s pie

FILLING

INGREDIENTS

10g dried porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions

2 carrot, fi

3 garlic cloves, fi

700g minced lamb

125ml red wine

250ml beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

MASHED POTATO TOPPING

1kg all-purpose potatoes such as sebago or desiree

125ml pouring cream

100g butter

1 teaspoon hot english mustard

sea salt and ground white pepper

125g grated cheddar

METHOD

To prepare the filling, soak the porcini mushrooms in 1/2 cup hot water for 20 minutes, or until softened. Drain and coarsely chop.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low–medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic, until softened. Add the lamb and cook for 5–10 minutes, until browned. Pour in the wine and stock. Add the tomato paste, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Decrease the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile to make the mashed potato topping, peel and halve the potatoes and place in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat. Uncover and boil for 15minutes, or until tender when tested with a skewer. Drain.

Heat the cream, butter and mustard together in the saucepan over medium heat, until the butter has melted and the cream is hot. Return the potato to the pan and mash using a potato masher. Beat with a wooden spoon, to combine with the cream. Season with salt and white pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Spoon the filling into six 1 1/2 cup capacity individual ovenproof ramekins or one 2 L capacity ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato and grated cheese.

Place the pie/s on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, if individual pies, or 20–25 minutes if cooking a large pie, or until the top is golden.

#rachaellane #porcinimushroom #onion #lamb #mashed #potato