Shepherd Pie

March, especially the first half of March, means one thing: St. Patricks’ Day. Be it food or drink I’m thinking Irish, so why not put together a great shepherd pie? This heavy dish comprised of ground lamb, potatoes and vegetables is just the thing to sit beside your Guinness next weekend!

The history books seem to be a little lost on the topic of Shepherd pie. Generally accepted that this dish came from the north of England or Scotland historically, I am still at a loss as to how this dish grew into what could be considered a St. Patricks’ Day specialty. The shepherds’ pie grew from the cottage pie, a simple ground beef pie made in similar fashion, where lamb is used in place of ground beef.

If you enjoy the richer things in life, you need to try shepherds’ pie. The intensity of flavour you will find in lamb does not even compare to that of beef, something to keep this in mind when seasoning. The blend of vegetables combined with the star ingredient and a few select herbs makes for one heck of a flavour explosion. Topped off with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes this simple dish is simply delightful on a mid-March afternoon or evening.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Lb. ground lamb

2/3 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup green peas

1 Tbsp. dried thyme

½ Tbsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

100g. butter, cubed

¼ tsp. garlic powder

1 Lb. mashed potato

Directions:

• Fry lamb until browned and well cooked.
• Sautee onions and carrots in lamb drippings until soft and the onion becomes translucent.
• Add all other ingredients except the mashed potato and butter, lay into a covered baking dish.
• Top meat mixture with mashed potatoes, run a fork over the top to add texture to the potato.
• Sprinkle the top with ground pepper and garlic powder.
• Place uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
• Serve

In the coming weeks, everything is going to be turning up Irish, lamb will be featured on a number of restaurant menus as a seasonal specialty. You can have your Lamb stew, some colcannon (see below), a lamb burger or just about anything you want with a dash of green on or in it. My vote for this St Patricks’ Day is however shepherds’ pie.

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