by Marilynn and Sheila Brass
Serves 8 to 10

There is a long history of serving Shepherd’s Pie in England. However, this is more a casserole than a pie because it has no crust, and uses a topping of mashed potatoes enriched with eggs and cream. Although the people of Dickens’ world were fond of mutton and root vegetables, this milder, lighter, 21st-century adaptation is simple to make, filling, and economical. A similar pie made with ground beef is known as Cottage Pie. You can substitute ground beef for the ground lamb in this recipe, and the resulting pies will both be wonderful.

For Carmelized Onions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
5 oz. (⅔ cup) water

For Filling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground lamb
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon coarsely ground
black pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup low-sodium beef stock, or as needed
1 tablespoon Wondra quick-mixing flour, or as needed

For Potato Topping
4 large potatoes, peeled, cut in quarters, and cooked in boiling water until tender
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream

1. To make the caramelized onions: Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add water, cover, and cook another 5 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure onions are not catching on bottom of pan. Remove cover, turn heat to medium, and stir with wooden spoon. Continue cooking until water is completely evaporated and onion is golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

2. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch ovenproof glass baking dish with vegetable spray.

3. To make the filling: Add olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add lamb and cook until no longer pink. Add caramelized onions, thyme, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and beef stock. Stir with wooden spoon to combine. Add flour, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until flour is absorbed and mixture thickens, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust consistency of gravy to your taste, adding more stock or flour as needed. Scrape mixture into prepared dish.

4. For the potato topping: Place potatoes in a potato ricer or mash in bowl until smooth. Add salt, eggs, nutmeg, and cream and stir well to combine. Spoon potato mixture into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a rosette tip. Pipe potatoes over top of pie until it is completely covered. Bake 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown. Cover with foil if potatoes brown too quickly. Serve immediately. Cover leftover Shepherd’s Pie with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Tips & Touches

• Place the mashed potatoes in a sturdy plastic bag. Snip off a corner diagonally with scissors to pipe potatoes.

• Always discard a used pastry bag or plastic bag because of possible raw egg contamination.

This recipe originally appeared as “Katherine’s Shepherd’s Pie” in Heirloom Cooking with The Brass Sisters by Marilynn and Sheila Brass, published by Black Dog & Leventhal, Inc. ©2008 Marilynn and Sheila Brass.

Photographs copyright © 2008 Andy Ryan.
© 2009 WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.