Shepherd's Pie
Crossposted w/pics to my own journal.
Shepherd's Pie
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. whole milk, warmed
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb
1 med. onion, minced
2 med. carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2" thick
2 med. garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover potatoes with water in large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain well and return to pot. Mash the potatoes thoroughly with a masher, then fold in butter until melted, then stir in warm milk and egg yolks. The potatoes become this gorgeous buttery golden yellow color. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and set aside.
Cook the lamb in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 tbsp. of the fat (or more, I ended up using some olive oil, as well) and drain the rest, set aside lamb.
Reheat the reserved fat in the skillet and add onion, carrots, and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and tomato paste, stirring constantly, until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.
Slowly stir in the broth, then add thyme and Worcestershire, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce has thickened, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the drained lamb and frozen peas, season with salt and pepper to taste, and smooth it into an even layer. Dot the top with medium dollops of the potatoes until it's all used up, then spread it into an even layer, covering all of the filling and anchoring the potatoes to the sides of the skillet. I didn't do so well on that last part and some of the liquid bubbled up on the sides, but none of it went over.
Bake the pie for 20 - 25 minutes until the potatoes get nice and golden. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Source: The Best Skillet Recipes (America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated).