Shepherds Pie

[Jib]

I don't know if Shepherds Pie is a period dish but we eat it at least once a month during the cooler weather. How do you make yours?

[Jas. Hook]

I don't know if Shepherds Pie is a period dish but we eat it at least once a month during the cooler weather. How do you make yours?

We usually just go to a local tavern that serves pub food and ask for a shepherd's pie.

I would be interesting to see some recipes though.

Damm... now ye got my stomach a rumblin'.

Jas. Hook

[jendobyns]

I don't know if Shepherds Pie is a period dish but we eat it at least once a month during the cooler weather. How do you make yours?

No real recipe as such, just guidelines. This is one of my quick and dirty, the boys have just had their braces adjusted and don't want to chew, meals.

about a pound of meat, usually ground (I've used beef, bison, turkey)

part of an onion, sauteed till clear

some frozen mixed veggies, sometimes just peas & carrots

chicken broth/water/wine/beer

whatever herbs and spices are in the cupboard that go with the other ingredients

mashed potatoes to cover (usually plain white potatoes, although I've played with sweet potatoes, and will try potato-carrot mash one of these days)

Sometimes I use a bottom crust, usually not.

Add ground meat to sauteed onion (and sometimes I also have sauteed garlic and celery in the mix)

brown meat, add veggies, some of the chosen liquid, whatever herbs or spices take your fancy, simmer till broth is reduced to the desired consistency but before the green veg looses it's color.

Taste! add salt and whatever else you think it needs.

Dump this into a pie pan, casserole, whatever you want to use.

Top with mashed potatoes. Bake in 350 oven till done, about 1/2 hour. You can sprinkle some cheese on the potatoes before it goes in the oven.

This probably has little resemblance to traditional shepherd's pie, the boys and I play with it depending on their moods and what's in the pantry. They really like it when I use bison.

[Hawkyns]

We use ground beef now, but Mum used to make it with tinned corned beef, as well. Brown it with onions then add a bit of gravy and some spices. There are commercial shepherd's pie spice packets available. I tend to use a bit of garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, and gravy browning. Put it in a loaf tin, add peas or peas and carrots, then top with mashed potatoes. Corn is an abomination and a heresy that should never be used. Dab the top with butter and bake.

Hawkyns

[Jas. Hook]

The tin of corned beef as well as the mashed potato-carrot topping sounds interesting. One of our favorites veggie sides is turnip, which we usually mix with mashed potato it might be another hearty topping combination to consider. Although less traditional, one pub we go to actually tops the pie with a thick fillo dough instead of mashed potato.

Jas. Hook

[Grymm]

Shepherds pie traditionally uses sheep, mutton or lamb, and cottage pie is beef, both with a tattie topping and sometimes with cheese in or melted ontop of y'mashed tatties, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........real cheese, not that stuff that can be used for resoling shoes and comes presliced 'tween ikkle bits of plastic film or the stuff that comes in a can but real, preferably unpasturised, cheese.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Grymm

[Jib]

What about a dribble of gravy on top of the pie? Good or no?

[Jas. Hook]

What about a dribble of gravy on top of the pie? Good or no?

IMO leave it in the dish. I think that a lot of the eye appeal of the pie is the toasted potato topping.

Jas. Hook

[jendobyns]

Shepherds pie traditionally uses sheep, mutton or lamb, and cottage pie is beef, both with a tattie topping and sometimes with cheese in or melted ontop of y'mashed tatties, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........real cheese, not that stuff that can be used for resoling shoes and comes presliced 'tween ikkle bits of plastic film or the stuff that comes in a can but real, preferably unpasturised, cheese.

So I guess when you use bison, it's Frontier Pie?

[Jas. Hook]

Shepherds pie traditionally uses sheep, mutton or lamb, and cottage pie is beef, both with a tattie topping and sometimes with cheese in or melted ontop of y'mashed tatties, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........real cheese, not that stuff that can be used for resoling shoes and comes presliced 'tween ikkle bits of plastic film or the stuff that comes in a can but real, preferably unpasturised, cheese.

So I guess when you use bison, it's Frontier Pie?

Frontier Pie... makes sense to me. ;)

This might sound sacrilegious but... has anyone made a chicken pot pie with a potato topping???????

Jas. Hook

[Blackbead]

Just don't ever call it "Cow Pie" when you're serving it to anyone who's ever lived on a farm or ranch. It might lead to a misunderstanding.

[jollyjacktar]

Shepherds pie traditionally uses sheep, mutton or lamb, and cottage pie is beef, both with a tattie topping and sometimes with cheese in or melted ontop of y'mashed tatties, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........real cheese, not that stuff that can be used for resoling shoes and comes presliced 'tween ikkle bits of plastic film or the stuff that comes in a can but real, preferably unpasturised, cheese.

So I guess when you use bison, it's Frontier Pie?

As far as bison meat goes, I know that bison were still kicking around the southeast during the 1670s. Not only did the colonist in Charles Towne SC trade with the natives for the meat but the hides were one of the more valuable pelts form the area

[LadyBarbossa]

I've never made each shepherd's pie the same. Mostly used ground beef but I am eager to try it with ground lamb! I adore watching the Food Channel and have picked up on various different versions of shephed's pie, but always meat in a gravy of sorts with some sort of potatoes or some root veggie on top. Some have peas or some sort of bean in it, lentils, or carrots and onions or sauteed onions and mushrooms... something or nothing in it. Served with a good bread on the side or crumbles on top... with or without cheese on top... something. It's never always the same.

I have yet to make a good shepherd's pie in a dutch oven at an event though.

~Lady B

[jendobyns]

Shepherds pie traditionally uses sheep, mutton or lamb, and cottage pie is beef, both with a tattie topping and sometimes with cheese in or melted ontop of y'mashed tatties, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........real cheese, not that stuff that can be used for resoling shoes and comes presliced 'tween ikkle bits of plastic film or the stuff that comes in a can but real, preferably unpasturised, cheese.

So I guess when you use bison, it's Frontier Pie?

As far as bison meat goes, I know that bison were still kicking around the southeast during the 1670s. Not only did the colonist in Charles Towne SC trade with the natives for the meat but the hides were one of the more valuable pelts form the area

Yeah, I think that is true of most of the east coast. Our view of their existence only in the western States is rather skewed by the movies.

[Fox]

Got to agree with Grymm here: Shepherd's pie is made with some kind of sheep-meat - the clue's in the name. The similar dish made with beef is cottage pie.

Mrs F. does a mean cottage pie with left-over bolognese and a cheesey mash topping. Mmmmm...

[Capt. Sterling]

Damn getting hungry....my favorite.

[LadyBarbossa]

LOL... well, now ye lot know what t' make Sterling at PiP! :)

~Lady B

[Quartermaster James]

Mrs F. does a mean cottage pie with left-over bolognese and a cheesey mash topping. Mmmmm...

OH!

Nice...

[michaelsbagley]

All of this talk inspired me to make "cottage" pie last night for supper. Turned out great.. Better in fact than I have ever made it before. Maybe next time I will have to spring the extra cash for some sheep meat product so I can make a proper shepherds pie.

[Grymm]

Variations on the theme of tattie topping

Fish or Fishermans Pie, you'll need

Some big tatties

leeks onions and fennel bulb

butter, flour, milk, veg or fish stock cube

Some salmon chunked up

some smoked haddock ditto

and again with a tasty white fish (cod if there's any left)

some prawns if you are pushing the boat out.

Cheese (optional) Proper cheese mind

Bit rough and ready, you'll need to bugger about with amounts as I usually do bungit cookery.....bung stuff in til it looks enough. The white sauce is easy to scale up or down just try and keep the proportions...but a spot more milk never hurts

Put some large tatties in to bake well before

fry off some onions or leeks and a little fennel bulb/root, pref in butter, then place with fish of choice in a casserole dish

make a white sauce+

1oz butter 1oz flour 8-10fl oz milk, melt butter blend in flour to a paste then whisk in milk with stock cube bit by bit over a gentle heat until it starts to thicken then pour over fish and veg in dish, stir and bang in a medium oven.(18o c)

Remove tatties split and scoop and squash (with a little butter milk and pepper and cheese if y'like)

When fish is near done remove and top with mash, scatter top with cheese return to oven until browned and just starting to crisp.

For a full meal innapie put cooked peas broccoli florets and small diced carrots in the sauce before you put the tattie on.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Grymm

[PoD]

ahhhh using sheep meat makes a lot more sense. It's getting tricky catching real shepherds for the pie now they all use quad bikes

[Jas. Hook]

ahhhh using sheep meat makes a lot more sense. It's getting tricky catching real shepherds for the pie now they all use quad bikes

Hummmmm... quads... think caltrops. They'll down your shepard for you.

Jas. Hook

[LadyBarbossa]

I made a fine Shepherd's Pie back during St Patrick's Day (along with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes) and it turned out fantasticly! Used ground lamb, yukon gold potatoes, carrots, onions, peas and of course, tossed in a full large can of Stout that was imported from England! Made a massive skillet of it, and my family who does not like lamb or that sort of thing, goobled the pie down to the point there was nothin' left! I was so proud!

Alcohol, always makes it better!

~Lady B

[CaptainB]

Here be my take on Shepard's Pie:

Brown 1 pound of ground Goat (yes, of the Billy variety) with 1/2 cup white onion. Use the drippings from the meat, along with beef stock and flour to make some quick gravy. Dice about 5-6 carrots into rough 1 to 1 1/4 inch pieces, and add to the meat. Pour all of it into a pie dish and stir in the gravy. Coat the top with mashed potatoes, and bake for about 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

I like using goat, on account that it's delicious, and not often used.

[jendobyns]

Where do you get your goat meat? I have to agree, it's very good stuff!

Here be my take on Shepard's Pie:

Brown 1 pound of ground Goat (yes, of the Billy variety) with 1/2 cup white onion. Use the drippings from the meat, along with beef stock and flour to make some quick gravy. Dice about 5-6 carrots into rough 1 to 1 1/4 inch pieces, and add to the meat. Pour all of it into a pie dish and stir in the gravy. Coat the top with mashed potatoes, and bake for about 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

I like using goat, on account that it's delicious, and not often used.