Name: Shepherd's pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 14 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 950 g Lamb mince; 30 ml Olive oil; 1 Large (or 2 small) onions, diced; 2 Medium carrots, diced; 2 Sticks celery, diced; 3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 sprigs Fresh rosemary, finely chopped; 3 sprigs Fresh thyme, finely chopped; 60 g Tomato paste; 120 ml Red wine; 480 ml Lamb or beef stock; 15 ml Worcestershire sauce; 200 g Frozen peas; Salt and black pepper, to taste, to taste; 1½ kg Potatoes, peeled and quartered; 50 g Butter; 3 Egg yolks; 80 ml Double (heavy) cream; 100 g Mature Cheddar cheese (or Parmesan), grated; Salt, to taste, to taste; Fresh chives, finely chopped, finely chopped

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The recipe

Shepherd's pie

Rich lamb filling with crispy, cheesy mashed potato topping there's nothing quite like a proper homemade shepherd's pie.

30 min prep
1 hour 14 min cooking
6 min hands-off
Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Quantities

Measurements

Method

Step 1
Heat the olive oil (30 ml) in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lamb mince (950 g) and cook until deeply browned.
Step 2
Stir in the diced onion (1 onions), carrot (2 carrots), and celery (2 celery). Season with a good pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Step 3
Add the garlic (3 garlic), rosemary (3 sprigs), and thyme (3 sprigs), and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 4
Stir in the tomato paste (60 g) and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5
Deglaze the pan with red wine (120 ml), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce slightly.
Step 6
Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce (15 ml), bring to a simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Step 7
Stir in the frozen peas (200 g) and cook for 5 more minutes.
Step 8
Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then remove from heat.
Step 9
Place the potatoes (1½ kg) in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fully tender.
Step 10
Drain and mash until completely smooth (use a potato (1½ kg) ricer if you have one for best results).
Step 11
Add the butter (50 g), egg yolks (3 yolks), cream, and grated cheese (100 g).
Step 12
Mix until smooth and creamy, then season to taste with salt.
Step 13
This is the secret: the enriched mash gives you a richer flavour and helps create that golden crust.
Step 14
Transfer the lamb filling to a baking dish.
Step 15
Top with the mashed potatoes (1½ kg). For best results, pipe or texture the surface with a fork to create peaks.
Step 16
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan) for about 40 minutes, or until golden and crisp on top.
Step 17
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives.
Step 18
Scoop out a generous portion and serve hot.

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Questions people ask

How long does shepherd's pie take?

About 1 hour 50 min from start to finish: 30 min of prep, 1 hour 14 min of cooking, and 6 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How much does this make?

The original recipe did not state a yield, so nothing has been invented for it. The scale control on the recipe card multiplies the quantities instead, which is the honest version of the same thing.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Shepherd's pie

Shepherd's pie

Ingredients

Lamb filling

Mashed potato topping