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Collection: Lamb
Recipe By: bon appetit
Shepherd's Pie 8.5/10
Ingredients
- Filling
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 ounces slab bacon (⚠️ not used in recipe) cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 pounds ground lamb or beef
- Kosher salt
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- Assembly
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sour cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Special Equipment
- A potato ricer or food mill
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Directions
- Filling
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook bacon, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Increase heat to medium-high and cook half of ground lamb (⚠️if cost-effective get them without bone in) in same skillet undisturbed until well browned underneath, ⏰about 4 minutes.
- Break up lamb using 2 spoons or spatulas, then continue to cook, tossing occasionally and breaking into small pieces, until nearly cooked through but with some pink still remaining.
- 🧂Season with salt and transfer to plate with bacon. Repeat with another 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining lamb. Resist the temptation to cook all of the lamb in one batch; it will steam instead of searing, and you’ll miss out on the flavor that comes from browning.
- 🔥Heat remaining 1 Tbsp.
- ➕oil in same skillet and add onions, fennel, carrot, and celery.
- 🧂Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and very soft,
- ⏰12–15 minutes.
- ➕tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until paste darkens,
- ⏰about 1 minute.
- ➕ wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half (it should no longer smell boozy),
- ⏰about 5 minutes.
- ➕broth, rosemary, and thyme; return meat to skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, ⚠️until liquid is almost completely evaporated and any remaining sauce is the consistency of gravy,
- ⏰15–20 minutes.
- Transfer filling to a 3-qt. baking dish.
- Do Ahead: Filling can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
- Assembly
- 🔥Preheat oven to 375°.
- Mashed potatoes
- ⚠️Peal potatoes first
- 🍳Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover by at least 2"; season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until a paring knife easily slides through potatoes,
- ⏰25–35 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Bring half-and-half and butter to a simmer over medium heat.
- Halve potatoes, skin and all (skins won’t go through ricer or mill, but you can peel if you really want to), and pass through ricer or food mill set over a large bowl. If you don’t have a ricer or food mill, use a potato masher and aim to get the potatoes as smooth as possible.
- 👍🏽Kitchen aid mixer
- Mix in warm half-and-half mixture. Whisk egg yolks and sour cream in a small bowl, then mix into potatoes; season with salt and pepper.
- Carefully top filling with half of mashed potatoes; smooth out over filling so that no meat is peeking up through potatoes. Repeat with remaining potatoes, swirling decoratively.
- Bake shepherd’s pie until filling is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 45–50 minutes.
- Do Ahead: Pie can be assembled (but not baked) 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
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