The Real Shepherd’s Pie: A Chef’s Secret to the Richest, Most Authentic British Comfort Meal
Go back in time with this most authentic English recipe ever.
Even though we’re used to a certain type of food since the very childhood, it’s never really boring to check out what other countries’ cuisine tastes like. For that, authentic restaurants usually exist, but some are brave enough to cook an old-fashioned dish right in their kitchen.
If you’ve been feeling like this lately, the traditional shepherd pie coming all the way from the UK might be just what you need. Yes, the recipe is a bit complicated, but the result will likely be worth the effort.
Ingredients:
For the meat sauce: 600 g of ground beef, 80 g of onion, 80 g of carrot, 100 g of tomato paste, 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of thyme, 1 teaspoon of rosemary, 300 ml of chicken broth, 2 cloves of garlic, freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons of refined vegetable oil, 100-150 g of green peas, salt.
For the mashed potatoes: 1 kg of potatoes, 2 eggs, 100 g of grated hard cheese, salt.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and grate them using a large grater. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the onion and carrots and fry, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the ground meat. Break up any clumps with a spatula and cook over medium heat until the meat changes color.
Add the garlic, pressed through a garlic press. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes. Cut them into large chunks, place them in a pot, and cover with hot water. Boil until tender in salted water.
Add the tomato paste to the pan with the meat and pour in the Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine vinegar and chicken broth, then add the thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Drain the water from the potatoes and mash them into a puree. Add the eggs and half of the grated cheese. Mix thoroughly. Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
Spread the meat sauce into a baking dish. Add the green peas. Stir and smooth the surface.
Spread the potato mixture on top and smooth it out. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
Lightly fluff the surface with a fork. Bake for 25 minutes at 190°C.
