Pub-Style Shepherd's Pie with Broiler-Browned Potato Crust

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A proper shepherd's pie built around a deeply savoury ground lamb gravy that's cooked down until it's thick enough to hold a spoon upright — no soupy filling seeping into the potatoes. The mash is enriched with egg yolk so it pipes cleanly and sets into crisp golden ridges under the broiler. Worth the extra ten minutes of reduction and the piping bag; that's the difference between a casserole and something that tastes like it came out of a good gastropub kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb ground lamb (or 85% lean ground beef)
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry red wine or stout beer
• 2 cups beef or lamb stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (for the potato water)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or sharp white cheddar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb in large clumps and let it sit undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes to build a brown crust, then break it up and cook 5 minutes more until no pink remains. Tip the meat into a bowl and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
2. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until softened and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, scraping constantly, until it darkens to a brick red. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 to 2 minutes so it toasts and coats everything — this is the backbone of the gravy.
4. Pour in the wine or stout and scrape the bottom of the pan clean. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until reduced by about half and syrupy.
5. Return the lamb to the pan along with the stock, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the pan bottom leaves a trail that holds for 3 seconds. If it's still loose, raise the heat and reduce further — a wet filling will ruin the potato top.
6. Discard the bay leaf, stir in the frozen peas, and taste for salt. Spread the filling in an even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole and let it cool for at least 20 minutes (it should be warm, not hot, so the mash sits on top instead of sinking in).
7. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, add the 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 to 18 minutes until a knife slides through with no resistance. Drain well and return them to the dry pot over low heat for 1 minute to steam off moisture.
8. Rice the potatoes or mash them thoroughly until completely smooth. Beat in the cut-up butter until melted, then the warm milk, then the egg yolks, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and white pepper. The mash should be soft enough to pipe but stiff enough to hold a peak — add a splash more warm milk only if needed.
9. Heat the oven to 400°F. Scoop the mash into a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip and pipe it over the filling in tight overlapping rosettes or long ribbons, starting at the edges and sealing the potato to the rim of the dish. No piping bag? Spread the mash on in dollops, then drag a fork across the whole surface in long waves to build ridges.
10. Brush the top lightly with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Set the dish on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the gravy is bubbling up around the edges and the ridges are set and blond.
11. Move the dish to the upper rack and broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, rotating once and watching constantly, until the peaks and ridges are deeply browned and crisp. Rest 15 minutes before serving so the filling firms up and cuts into clean squares.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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