The History of Shepherd’s Pie and a Kosher, Gluten-Free Recipe
Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie is a meat pie with a crust or topping of mashed potato originating from Ireland. Jews have come to adopt the recipe and it is a popular meal for Shabbat and Passover.
Shepherd’s Pie came about in the late 1700’s in Ireland. It was created by housewives looking to make meals frugally, by incorporating leftovers from other meals. The challenge came, as it does today, from making a dish that spouses and children would not complain about or refuse to eat.
Recipes vary but all have the same basic structure. There’s a crust of mashed potatoes on the top and the bottom and inside is a filling of minced meat. Technically, the dish is called Shepherd’s Pie when the filling consists of mutton or lamb, and it’s called Cottage Pie when it’s filled with beef. The meat is simmered in a gravy or sauce with onions and other chopped vegetables like celery, carrots or peas. The dish is something that all Irish cooks like to put their personal spin on.
The history of the dish is a bit confused but some sense can be made of it from looking at the history of Ireland. Here are some of the basic facts that help clarify the dishes origins.
