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shepherd's pie with cheesy garlic mash
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Shepherd's Pie With Cheesy Garlic Mash

We're taking a classic Shepherd's Pie to another level with a cheesy, garlic infused mash. Rich & flavourful with a super crispy topping!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: English
Servings: 6 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Saucepan
  • Microplane/Grater
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Peeler
  • Large Baking Tray
  • Potato Ricer
  • 10" Heatproof Dish
  • Digital Food Probe

Ingredients

Lamb Pie Filling

  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 500 g Lamb Mince 20% Fat
  • 2 Large White Onions Finely Diced
  • 3 Carrots Finely Diced
  • 3 Sticks Celery Finely Diced
  • 5 Cloves Garlic Grated
  • 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary Leaves Picked From Stalks
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves Picked From Stalks
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tbsp Plain Flour
  • 150 ml Red Wine
  • 1 Litre Lamb/Beef Stock
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2½ tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • ¼ tsp Tabasco
  • 1 tbsp Lamb/Beef Gravy Granules See Notes

Cheesy Garlic Mash

  • 2 kg Maris Piper Potatoes Washed, Left Whole & Unpeeled
  • ½ tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 250 g Double Cream
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Sliced
  • 5 Sprigs Rosemary
  • 5 Sprigs Thyme
  • 50 g Unsalted Butter Melted
  • 100 g Grated Cheddar Or Use Gruyere
  • 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • 25 g Parmesan To Grate On Top (Optional)

Instructions

Lamb Pie Filling

  • First, pour the veg oil into a large saucepan then place over a medium-high heat.
  • Let the oil heat up for a minute or so then add in half of the lamb mince. Season with a pinch of salt then fry until well browned, breaking the mince up with a spatula/spoon as you do so.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned mince from the pan & transfer to a bowl, leaving any fat in the pan. Repeat the frying process with the remaining mince.
  • Next, turn the heat down to medium then add the diced onion, carrot & celery into the pan, adding a splash more veg oil if needed.
  • Season the veg with a pinch of salt then cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add in the grated garlic and the chopped rosemary & thyme, cook for another minute then stir the browned lamb mince back in.
    Make sure to stir the veg regularly as it cooks, to stop it catching on the bottom of the pan.
  • Stir in the tomato paste & flour then deglaze the pan with the red wine, letting it cook off for a minute or so.
  • Add in the stock & bay leaves then bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn the heat down slightly then simmer until the sauce has thickened, stirring regularly. This will take around 30-40 minutes.
  • Next, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tabasco & gravy granules. Cook out for 1-2 minutes then season the sauce with salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
  • Remove the lamb from the heat, leave to cool then refrigerate overnight (see notes).

Cheesy Garlic Mash

  • Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
    We're cooking both the potatoes & the assembled pie at this temperature!
  • Place the unpeeled potatoes onto a large baking tray & drizzle over the veg oil. Cook in the preheated oven until cooked through. Depending on the size of your potatoes, this will take between 45 minutes - 1½ hours. Once cooked, leave to cool for 15-20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle but still warm.
    Insert the tip of a small knife into the middle of a potato to check if it is soft. If there's any resistance, continue cooking.
  • When your potatoes are about 10 minutes away from being cooked, it's time to infuse the cream. To do this, place cream, garlic & herbs into a saucepan. Season with salt & pepper then warm over a low heat, until steaming hot. Cover with a lid & leave to infuse off the heat, until needed.
  • Next, cut each potato in half, scoop out the flesh & mash into a bowl, using a potato ricer.
    If you haven't got a ricer, use a potato masher or a fork. If you want your mash super smooth, you can push it through a sieve as well.
  • Pass the cream into the potatoes, through a sieve then add in the grated cheese, butter & mustard. Season with salt & pepper then give the mash a good mix with a spatula.
  • Taste the mash, to check the seasoning then stir through the egg yolks.

Assembly

  • Transfer the lamb into a 10" square heatproof dish then top with the cheesy mash. Spread the potato out so that it completely covers the lamb then use a fork to rough up the surface.
  • Grate the parmesan all over the top of the pie (if using) then bake for 30-40 minutes, until the potato is golden & crispy and the lamb is piping hot.
    A digital food probe comes in handy for checking the temperature of the lamb. It should be at least 75°c/167°f.
  • Let the pie sit for 10 minutes then scoop out portions using a large serving spoon.

Notes

1. Lamb Mince - For the best results, I'd recommend using lamb mince with 20% fat. Alternatively, you could use minced lamb shoulder.
2. Gravy Granules - We're using gravy granules to thicken up our sauce. Lamb or beef granules work best. If you'd prefer, you could add an extra tbsp of flour into the sauce (at the beginning) & leave out the gravy granules.
3. Chilling The Sauce - We're leaving the sauce in the fridge overnight before using, for two reason. The first is that it improves the flavour & secondly, it makes topping the pie with mash easier. If you'd prefer, you can skip this step. The pie will still taste great!
4. Potatoes - Maris pipers are my preferred choice of potato. King Edward's or Russets are other good choices. We are roasting them instead of boiling for a better flavour & texture.
5. Red Wine - Don't worry about using an expensive wine when deglazing the pan. I'd recommend using a Merlot. 
6. Making In Advance - To make the pie in advance, assemble then refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add an extra 5 minutes or so to the cook time.