Many years ago, Jeff spent several summers working as a shepherd in the Swiss Alps. He was charged with herding cattle and goats - but not sheep. Maybe that's why he doesn't remember eating anything that resembles this dish - commonly referred to as shepherd's pie. It's not really a pie at all, and it's typically made with lamb topped with a potato crust.
Meaty red wines like Syrah are particularly
good with lamb dishes. So too are Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
● 1.3kg small thin-skinned potatoes (red or white)
● 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
● 1 onion, diced
● 2 cloves garlic, minced
● 8 large button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
● 900g ground lamb
● 2 tsp dried rosemary
● 1 tsp dried thyme
● 2 tsp salt
● 900g fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and coarsely chopped, or 750g tinned whole Italian plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
● 225g fresh or frozen peas
● 120ml red wine
Method
● Wash the potatoes but do not peel. Halve or quarter them depending on their size. Fill a large pot about two-thirds with water. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
● Preheat the oven to 150°C.
● In a casserole or large ovenproof pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, stir, cover, and cook until tender, about 3 more minutes.
● Increase the heat to high and add the lamb, rosemary, thyme, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned, about 5 minutes.
● Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, peas and wine. Stir to blend all the ingredients, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
● When the potatoes have cooked, drain them and return to the pot. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and mash them with a potato masher. (We like hand-mashing. Lumpy potatoes have character!)
● Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat and vegetables in the casserole or pot.
● Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
