Shepard's Pie

I come from a St. Patrick's School, a Christian Brother's School with an Irish patron saint and an Irish Principal, the late Brother Joseph McNally. Brother Joe was a damm nice guy. If not for him and some of the very dedicated teachers leading me along the right path, God only knows where I would be now. The true, salt of the earth nature of these people inspired this recipe. Just like them, no stock of any kind is added, but the goodness of the dish still shines through. 

Shepard's Pie is like a Patrician. Ever ready to fulfill your need anytime, all the time and good to the last bite! ;-) You can make this days in advance, keep it in the fridge, and when u wanna eat, just pop in in the oven for a few minutes and it'll be ready. Simple, no fuss, good and nutritious food.

Ingredients

750g minced lamb

250g chopped bacon

3 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped

3 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped

one yellow onion, finely chopped

one whole garlic, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

200g mixed vegs

5 medium size potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons butter

200ml cooking cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 can of Guinness, boiled down to half it's volume

1 tablespoon flour

half a can of tomato puree

3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Method

In a pot of salted boiling water, boil the potatoes until soft and put it aside.

In a hot pan, cook the bacon till crispy, then add the onion,  garlic, Rosemary, thyme and celery and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the minced lamb and a half a can of tomato puree

Now pour in the Guinness and let it cook down to half it's volume. 

Add the Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce and black pepper to taste.

Finally, stir in the mozzarella cheese and flour.

Once that's done, put it in your pie tray and set it aside.

Mash the potatoes with butter and cream. Add salt to taste.

Cover the minced lamb with the mash potatoes an sprinkle the shaved Parmesan cheese on the top.

Put it in a hot oven and cook till the top is slightly brown. that should take about 10 minutes.

This is one damm hearty meal, and a little goes a long way! The remainder can be kept in the fridge to fill your stomach another day. And that's a sure bet, just like a Patrician!

Enjoy!