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The ideal St. Patrick’s Day comfort food -- Shepherd’s Pie recipe

Mash potato, mince and carrots, just like mammy used to make

By
BERNIE MALONE,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 8:29 AM
Updated Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 8:29 AM

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Shepard's Pie
Shepard's Pie


Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section

There’s nothing like a slab of Shepherd's pie on a cold day. Shepherd’s pie is the perfect simple dinner that’s sure to put a smile on the face of any Irish person in your life.

Shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie as it’s known in Britain, is believed to have existed since around 1791 when potatoes became an available, affordable crop to the poor. This dish was a perfect way to stretch leftover roasted meat.

Originally the pie was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust. The term Shepherd’s pie came into use, alongside cottage pie, from around 1870.

Here’s a simple, tasty and inexpensive recipe for Shepherd’s pie:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Irish butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 sliced carrots
4 tablespoons cream flour
600ml/1 pint browning stock
chopped parsley and thyme
450g/1lb cooked minced beef
675g mashed potatoes

Method:

Melt the Irish butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion cover and let sweat for a few minutes.
Add the carrots.

Stir in the flour and cook until it is slightly browned, then add the stock and herbs.

Bring to the boil and reduce it a little by boiling for about 5 minutes.

Add the meat and bring back to the boil.

Place in a pie dish and cover with the mashed potatoes put into a medium hot oven (180c/350f/) for about 30 minutes.

Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section

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12 Comments

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Macrooster | Mar 19, 2012, 05:55 PM EDT
Try using Colcannon on top instead of just plain mashed potatoes! What a treat!

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EileenL | Mar 17, 2012, 08:23 PM EDT
Pattymm ,sure hope you have a Cosco or Sams club in your area , they carry the Kerry gold Butter the regular and the spreadable variety ,, i stock up as it freezes beautifully,, i would stand in Macys Window and sell that Butter and Cheese,theres also a rumor floating around they are selling the Bacon and Sausages,,, sure hope it comes to Myrtle Beach Stores,,,

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wilhoef | Mar 17, 2012, 12:16 AM EDT
We make our own mincemeat and I never thought of it as an ingredient for Shepherd's Pie. Must try it out. I'm the only one in my family to eat Brussel Sprouts. I love them.

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jamthecat | Mar 16, 2012, 10:43 PM EDT
Love Shepherd's Pie, especially the ones made at King's Head Pub in Santa Monica a block from the ocean, and at the old Channel 4 Pub across from Rockefeller Center, on 48th Street. Both use mincemeat and I don't care if it's not the purest way to do it. It's perfection...and is the only time I'll eat brussel sprouts. Oh, and Wegman's has everything.

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wilhoef | Mar 16, 2012, 05:57 PM EDT
Irish butter is always available at Wegman's if you have a store near you. Good luck!

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PattyMM | Mar 16, 2012, 04:33 PM EDT
Irish butter? They don't seem to carry that in my grocery store. :)

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hellybt | Mar 10, 2012, 05:43 PM EST
Would people please get it correct over here with the Shepherds Pie. It is Shepherds Pie when the meat in LAMB, anything else, it is Cottage Pie. Makes me bonkers so many recipes for Shepherds Pie call for mince beef, or wotnot. It still is very tasty as Cottage Pie, especially when I cook the meat in Guinness with the stock (I get Bisto or Oxo from home)

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CrimGillespie | Mar 13, 2011, 07:33 PM EDT
Beef Stock

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belfastgirl1 | Mar 08, 2011, 04:28 PM EST
Cream flour is plain flour (all purpose )

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PaddyMac | Mar 08, 2011, 12:05 PM EST
What's "browning stock" in the US?

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ladyjane | Mar 08, 2011, 10:54 AM EST
My mother made this often, but always insisted on lamb for the meat. After all, didn't shepherds herd the sheep? It's featured on many menus these days as a comfort food. And that it is.

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cartersmate35 | Mar 08, 2011, 10:42 AM EST
I have LOVED this dish since I was cutting teeth! I am wondering...what is "cream flour"? Is it just flour used to thicken? Anyway, I will be using THIS recipe!

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