Having grown up in Northern Ireland, Shepherd’s Pie was part of my staple diet. For those who don’t know the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie it is simply that Shepherd’s uses lamb mince (hence the Shepherd name) and Cottage uses Beef mince.
This recipe is easy to follow but personally, I would advise smothering it in HP brown sauce once it’s cooked. Not strictly part of the recipe, but for me it gives a real nice tang and twist to the flavour. Some people may be shouting at the screen now, but it’s only my personal tip, so if you prefer then don’t add the sauce afterwards. This is the perfect meal if you want something to celebrate St. Patricks Day on 17th March.
Lamb Mixture
–1 tablespoon butter
–1 tablespoon olive oil
–1 diced onion
–2 pounds lean ground lamb
–⅓ cup flour
–Salt and pepper, to taste
–1 teaspoon paprika
–⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
–2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
–3 cloves minced garlic
–1 tablespoon ketchup
–2 ½ cups water or broth (use more or less to adjust thickness as needed)
–One 12-ounce bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed, drained well
Potato Topping
–2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes
–1 tablespoons butter
–Salt and pepper, to taste
–Pinch of cayenne
–¼ cup cream cheese
–¼ pound Irish cheddar cheese
–1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons milk