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A delicious shepherd’s pie recipe to take away the winter chill

Toby Keel Toby Keel

Shepherd's pie is a true British classic which always hits the spot – this delicious take on the dish comes from chef Christian Turner.

There’s ice on the windscreen, sleet in the air and the whole world feels damp and chilly. And yet even with the radiators are pumped up to full blast there are only two ways to get truly warm.

The first is a lovely fire – log burner or open, we’re not too worried which – and the other is a delicious, steaming plate of top-quality comfort food.

We’ve been running some delicious wintry recipes from Christian Turner, executive chef at the Colony Grill Room in The Beaumont Hotel in London. You can catch up with the chicken pie and macaroni cheese recipes by following these links, but this week it’s another British classic that gets the treatment: Shepherd’s Pie.

Christian Turner’s Shepherd’s Pie recipe

Serves four

Ingredients

For the filling

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  • 1kg Lamb Mince
  • 100g Carrot – Finely Diced
  • 200g Brown Onion – Finely Diced
  • 100g Celery – Finely Diced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic – Very Finely diced
  • 250ml Red Cooking Wine
  • 75g Plain Flour
  • 50ml Worcester Sauce
  • 50ml Vegetable Oil
  • I sprig Rosemary, finely chopped
  • I sprig Thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 75ml Tomato Ketchup
  • 1 tblsp Tomato Paste
  • 500ml Veal Stock

For the mashed potato

  • 600g Potato (floury)
  • 70g Butter
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • Pinch White Pepper
  • 2 pinches Salt

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the lamb mince and brown well. Remove the meat, set aside and strain off the fat after cooking.

Using the rendered fat, cook the onions and chopped garlic on a low heat, until lightly coloured; this should take 5-7 minutes.

Add the carrots, rosemary and thyme, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, continue to cook on a low heat for 4 minutes, then add the red wine, turn up the heat and allow to cooked until the liquid is reduce by half; this will take approximately 5-7 minutes. Once reduced, turn down the heat to a medium flame.

Mix in the flour, stir well so that it is well-incorporated, with no lumps. Add the stock slowly, stirring all the time.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook on a low heat, covered, for an hour. Check seasoning, and then spoon into a suitable casserole dish.

While the mince is cooking, boil and mash the potato. Add the butter and the pepper, incorporating well.

When cooled slightly, stir in the yolks, one at a time, making sure they’re well mixed in, then check the seasoning.

Once you’re happy, pipe or spoon onto the meat filling and brush with butter.

Finish in the oven for ten minutes, at 180°C.