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Angela Hartnett's Shepherd's Pie

Name: Angela Hartnett's Shepherd's Pie
Yield: 3 - 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil; 1 celery stick, finely chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2-3 carrots, finely chopped; 500 g lamb mince; 2 tbsp. tomato puree; Large splash of Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 beef stock cube; 500 mL lamb stock; 900 g potatoes, cut into large dice; 100 g butter, plus extra to dot over; 50 mL whole milk; A deep ovenproof dish, about 20 x 23cm (1.4 litre)

Comfort food doesn't get much more classic than shepherd's pie, and it's deliciously simple to pull together, especially with a Michelin-starred chef's recipe to guide you.

By Angela HartnettPublished: 25 October 2024

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Lauren McClean/Bloomsbury

Transform a frugal kitchen staple into a delicious chef-worthy dinner with this recipe from acclaimed chef Angela Hartnett.

"Shepherd’s pie (made using lamb, and not to be confused with cottage pie, made using beef) is thought to have originated in Scotland, in the mid-19th century, and was then made using a mashed potato top and bottom, sandwiching the meaty filling between the two. Here, I’m going for the more usual version – a creamy mash topping that becomes tinged at the edges as the delicious filling bubbles through."

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Yields:

3 - 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp.
olive oil
1
celery stick, finely chopped
1
onion, finely chopped
2-3 carrots, finely chopped
500 g
lamb mince
2 Tbsp.
tomato puree
Large splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2
beef stock cube
500 ml
lamb stock

FOR THE MASH TOPPING

900 g
potatoes, cut into large dice
100 g
butter, plus extra to dot over
50 ml
whole milk

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

A deep ovenproof dish, about 20 x 23cm (1.4 litre)

Directions

1. Step 1Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and carrots and cook for 10min, until soft. Turn up the heat, crumble in the lamb mince and cook, stirring from time to time, until brown (about 10min). Tip off any excess fat.
2. Step 2Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and the half stock cube and fry for a fewmin, then pour over the stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 20min. Uncover the pan, and cook for a further 20min, until the lamb is tender and the liquid has almost evaporated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Step 3Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6, then make the mash topping.
4. Step 4Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20min, until tender.
5. Step 5Drain in a colander, then tip the potatoes back into the pan and mash them first with the butter and then with the milk (in that order).
6. Step 6Put the mince into your ovenproof dish, top evenly with the mash and ruffle the mash with a fork. Dot with butter.
7. Step 7Cook the shepherd’s pie in the oven for 25–30min, until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges. Leave to stand for 5min before serving, ideally with cabbage and peas.

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