Jill Dupleix

Shepherd’s pie

Preparation info

  • Feeds

    four

    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in

Old Food

Old Food

By Jill Dupleix

Published 1998

  • About

If it uses minced uncooked lamb, it’s a shepherd’s pie, and if it uses leftover cooked beef, it’s cottage pie. Coming from a sheep farm, I prefer the former, and I also add an untraditional layer of home-cooked, jammy tomato sauce under the potato. Serve with a huge bowl of fresh peas, and you will win over young and old.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

Heat butter and cook onions and garlic for 10 minutes. Add minced lamb and cook, stirring, until browned. Sprinkle flour on top of meat and stir well, allowing flour to cook. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and parsley and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Feel free to add a little water as it cooks, if necessary, to create more of a sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.