Name: Indonesian Shepherd’s Pie (Pastel Panggang)
Yield: Makes 4–6 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 6 Asian shallots or 3 European shallots, minced; 1 large egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1¼ lb (570 g) yellow gold potatoes, peeled and quartered; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt; 1 cup (140 g) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed; 1½ cups (250 g) diced cooked chicken; 2 large egg yolks; ½ cup (15 g) dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water and chopped; 2 oz (60 g) bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water and roughly cut; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 cup (170 g) chopped ham; 1 teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon ground pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock; 2 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced; ¼ cup (7 g) Chinese celery leaves or parsley, finely chopped

Preparation info

Makes
4–6
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

The Dutch influence in this dish that was once called Indische pastel (a name rarely used anymore) is palpable—hello, mashed potato topping! But the filling, with oddities like bean thread noodles and wood ear mushrooms, also makes it very Indonesian. Leave them out if you prefer.

Ingredients

For the Topping

1¼ lb (570 g) yellow gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1½ teaspoons

Method

To make the mashed potato topping, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until fork-tender, 15–20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander. While they are still hot, press them through a ricer into a large bowl, or mas