Shepherds Pie

[CaptainB]

I know a butcher here in Oklahoma that is one of the few places around to buy it.

[Mission]

I make mine without meat at all. (When I make it.) The spices and gravy are the keys to the taste. (A mushroom gravy, in my case.)

[jendobyns]

I make mine without meat at all. (When I make it.) The spices and gravy are the keys to the taste. (A mushroom gravy, in my case.)

Mission, you tease. You need to be more specific than that! C'mon, do tell, what do you use besides spices and mushroom gravy? I want to try sneaking this one past my guys (they're meat and potato types).

Oh, one of my cookbooks calls a meatless version of Shepherd's Pie a Shepherdess Pie.

[Mission]

It's been years since I made it. Basically, as I recall it I cooked the mushrooms in butter until they released the brown liquid (if you've cooked mushrooms in this way, you know what I mean). Then I copied all the spices you put in with the meat in the normal recipe. I also used butter/mushroom juice to make the mushroom gravy from another recipe I have.

These days, I'd probably just look on epicurious for a vegetarian Shepherd's Pie recipe that was rated 3 forks or better. (Epicurious is a great website and the rating system has been very helpful in the past.)

As for tricking people who are m-and-p sorts, it only works until they find out. Many of these people seem have the most irrational thought process when it comes to their sacred cow (so to speak). Even if they liked it before, they won't like it after.

Edit: And here you go! Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie, 4 forks. I don't have anything going for Easter this weekend, maybe I'll try it out for fun.

[Seamus the Unlucky]

I too make a decent enough pass at Shepard's Pie and it has become a staple of sorts for any and all events and fuctions, in regards to both family and crew.

I have used beef, bison, corned beef, and lamb thus far, but have yet to dive in and try a fish version (see what I did there?). The main reason for this is because I detest fish. Nothing against those who enjoy it, it's just that I am sadly not one of those people, and if I'm the one doing the cooking, then we eat what I like. Yarr.

Anyhow, here be the recipie I use:

Seamus the Unlucky's Shepard's Pie

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, hacked to bits

3 medium carrots, peeled and hacked to bits

1 rib of celery, sliced

2 gloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 tbspn salt

3/4 tsp diced oregano

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 lb. ground meat (beef, bison, corned beef, etc)

1/4 cup beef broth

1/2 tspn worcestershire sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes, cooled (Honestly, I just use instant for these, since it's really hard to screw up 'tatoes, so the instant works)

1/4 cup grated chedder cheese

Preheat oven to 375°

Heat the olive oil and two tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, and half the salt. Cook under the veggies are tender; about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the paste turns brick red; about 8 minutes. Stir in the meat, broth, worscestershire, and the remaining salt, and add a little pepper as well. Break up any clumps of the meat and cook until the meat browns evenly; about 3 minutes. Transfer the meat and veggies into a 2 quart casserole dish.

There are two ways to proceed from here in regards to the potatoes.

Through a Pastry Cone

For the fancier events, I'll use a pastry cone and apply the potatoes on top of the meat and veggies in dots (approx. 1/2 in. in diam) in a spiral pattern from outside to inner, Leaving a 1/4 in. border around the edge.. This is time consuming, and dependant on if you allowed the potatoes to cool sufficiantly, painfull as Hell. Seriously. Let the potatoes cool before you try to squeeze them through a pastry cone. My handwriting still suffers. Again, time consuming and dangerous, but presentation is everything, right?

OR

Spread over with a spatula

Sometimes there isn't time nor desire to mess around with a pastry cone. Besides, we're Pirates, aye? Arrr. So ferget that fancy pantiloon stuff and just slap in on evenly over the meat and veggies. Leave a 1/4 in. border around the edge.

Lightly sprinkle with cheddar and dot around with the remaining tspn of butter. Bake at 375° until the potatoes are browned and the juices bubble around the edge; about 40 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes to avoid be kehauled for scalding the Cap'n.

That's it. Easy-peasy, says I.

Let me know if ye use this, and what ye thought of it.