Shepherd's Pie

Today is a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. However, don't let that fool you. This past week has been cold, and grey, and pouring down rain. Which means that even though it is technically still summer, a few days ago I actually cracked and put the flannel sheets back on the bed. And then I made a shepherd's pie.

I don't know if shepherd's pie is a seasonal food, per se, but I do know it is wonderful when it is dark and raining and you don't feel like doing much of anything, other than cozy-ing up with a good book on the couch. That being said, my husband has very strong memories of eating shepherd's pie while living in Oman as a child — the average daily temperature being somewhere around 108 degrees.

A few years ago I was reading a travel book on England when I learned that I had been referring to shepard's pie incorrectly (and continue to do so). According to this book, shepherd's pie is made with lamb, whereas cottage pie is made with beef. Cooking with lamb gives me the bonafide willies so I typically swap it out, when possible, for beef, which is what I have done with this recipe. And so, what I make is actually 'cottage pie'.

When we had this for dinner a few nights ago, Emilia sat in her highchair and ate every bite. Talk about a girl after my own heart. There isn't anything more gratifying than seeing your 18 month old devour what you've just made. And I can't tell you how happy I was that I doubled the recipe because that meant leftovers. Another one of my favorite foods...

Also, I usually make more mashed potatoes than the recipe calls for because there is nothing more annoying than feeling jipped where mashed potatoes are concerned.

I typically serve this dish with sautéed kale because it is not only yummy, but also looks pretty alongside it. It is customary to serve steamed brussel sprouts, but if someone told me that I had to do that, then I'd refuse to make shepherd's pie ever again — rainy day or not.

Shepherd's Pie
2 large baking potatoes, peeled
½ cup milk
½ stick (¼ cup) butter
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound ground beef, or ground lamb, if you must
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 ½ tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons flour
½ cup minced onion
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup white wine
½ cup beef stock
1 cup corn kernels (optional)

Place potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil 40 minutes, until soft. Drain and return them to the pot. Mash with milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and set aside. (You may want to add a smidge more butter. Or not.)

Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and beef, stirring frequently, until well-browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining salt, rosemary, and worcestershire. Stir well and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons flour. Cook 5 more minutes. Remove the meat with slotted spoon and set aside. Pour excess fat from pan.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Add onion and carrot to pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons flour and stir. Increase heat, add the wine and beef stock and deglaze the pan, making sure you haven't left any caramelized bits in the bottom of the pan. Cook another 5-7 minutes, until liquid is cut in half.

Add your beef mixture and corn. Stir and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Butter a casserole dish and spread the mixture over the bottom. Cover the beef with a nice layer of mashed potatoes, smoothing out the top. Bake uncovered in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve immediately. (Recipe from: Dean & DeLuca by David Rosengarten [with Joel Dean & Giorgio DeLuca], Random House, 1996.)