Shepherd’s Pie
It’s been awhile since my last post, I apologize. I’ve been distracted by new cookbooks and travel, but more than that, I’ve been a little dispirited and that’s made me uninterested in sharing my moments in the kitchen. At it’s core, cooking is about nourishment and for me and — as cliche as it sounds — it provides nourishment not only for my body, but also for my spirit. I’ve been cooking merely to sustain, with no emotional leftovers for medium. Maybe this is what people mean when they say they eat their feelings.
About 6 weeks ago I made one of my favorite recipes from mom — Shepherd’s Pie — with a couple of tweaks, of course. In the time between then and now, the New York Times has reported on the virtues of cooking in cast iron (a value my parents taught me early on and makes for an excellent casserole-dish substitute) and I also traveled to Ireland, the birthplace of Shepherd’s Pie.
As far as I can tell, Shepherd’s Pie is more of a casserole, with meat and vegetables providing the base and a crusty layer of mashed potatoes on top. According to the Irish, a Shepherd’s Pie is usually made with lamb (because a shepherd shepherds sheep), with peas and carrots mixed in and a layer of mashed potatoes on top. So our family’s dish with three layers — one of ground beef, one of corn, and one of mashed potatoes — is already a departure. Really old school Shepherd’s Pie would be made with mutton––more specifically the leg of an elderly sheep––braised in red wine to soften the tough cut and seasoned with British spices, like nutmeg, mace, and allspice.
Our Shepherd’s Pie more closely resembles England’s Cottage Pie, which is made with minced beef in place of lamb. (I learned the term “minced” over there is synonymous with “ground” over here). It still lacks corn, but I guess that’s probably always been a distinctly American substitution. Sometimes, I heard, you will find a variation which has mashed carrots on the top in place of mashed potatoes, which resembles my biggest update on our family recipe: a non-potato top. My alterations included:
Upping the umami flavor in the beef base.
Making my own creamed corn — thanks for the recipe, Mom!
Substituting mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes on top, in an effort to make the dish a little more healthy. And, while I was at it, using that as an opportunity to add some color.
Lastly, cooking in a cast iron pan, making both personal and family-sized portions.
Here’s Mom’s recipe (note: somehow this didn’t originally make it into the cookbook so I asked Mom to email me hers).
And mine: Updated Shepherd’s Pie
- 1 head cauliflower, stem removed and cut into 1.5 inch pieces (mine was purple)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch dice (also purple)
- 2 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears) or 1 lb bag
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1.5# ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Prepare the mashed cauliflower and set aside. Instructions:
Steam (in a steamer basket) the cauliflower and potatoes for 15 minutes over 1 inch boiling water. For one head this took two batches. Puree in food processor with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons butter, and ⅓ cup of the boiling water.
Prepare the creamed corn and set aside. Mom’s instructions:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn kernels and milk. Sprinkle with cornstarch, sugar, and salt; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, 10 to 12 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F
In your cast iron, prepare the bottom layer of beef:
Sweat the onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until translucent, stirring frequently. Add 1.5# ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for about 12 minutes, chopping and mixing the beef as it browns. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 2 tablespoons flour and cook for a minute, then add 1 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another minute or two before layering, first with the corn and then the cauliflower mash. You can smooth out this layer with a spoon or drag a fork through for some grooves. Cook at 375 for 15 minutes and then broil for 5. Serve immediately, but this makes great leftovers!
