Shepherd's Pie.... A Winter Comfort Food

Winter was made for stews, soups and casseroles.  And, there are a lot to choose from.  When it's snowing, raining or a mixture of the two, I run towards comfort food.  Whether it is grilled cheese with tomato soup, lentil soup, macaroni and cheese, barley soup or a good ole fashioned shepherd's pie, it has the power to make me feel warm and cozy.  Gilbert is definitely a meat and potatoes kinda guy, when it comes to comfort foods.

Shepherd's Pie

A few days ago it was blustery and raining, the perfect time for shepherd's pie.  Nothing says comfort like lamb and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:  

Potato Topping:

1 1/2 lb. Russet Potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 tbs Unsalted Butter, softened

1/2 cup Whole Milk, warmed

2 large Egg Yolks

Filling:

1 1/2 lb Ground Lamb

1 Onion, minced

2 Carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick

Salt

2 Garlic Cloves, minced 

1/4 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 cup Frozen Peas

Ground Black pepper

Directions:

1) For the Topping: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the potatoes are tender and a fork inserted into the center meets little resistance, 15-20 minutes. 

2) Drain the potatoes well and return them to the saucepan over low heat.  mash the potatoes thoroughly with a potato masher (or pass through a ricer).  Fold in the butter until melted, then stir in the warm milk and egg yolks.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and set aside while preparing the filling.

3) For the Filling: Meanwhile cook the lamb in a 12-inch oven proof skillet (or, like me, in a dutch oven if you don't have a 12-inch skillet) over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 3 minutes.  Drain the lamb through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding all but 1 tbs. of the rendered fat.

4) Heat the 1 tbs. reserved lamb fat in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, carrots and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.

5) Slowly stir in the broth, thyme and Worcestershire sauce, scrape up the browned bits, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce has thickened, 3-5 minutes.

6) Off the heat, stir in the drained lamb and peas, season with salt and pepper to taste, and smooth the filling into an even layer.  Dollop the potato topping evenly over the filling, then spread it into an even layer, covering the filling completely and anchoring the potatoes to the sides of the skillet.  Bake the pie until the top is golden brown, 20-25 minutes.  Let the pie cook for 10 minutes before serving.