Shepherd’s Pie with Minted Peas
From Ainsley’s Food We Love, ITV
A comforting shepherd’s pie topped with creamy, buttery mash and served with minted peas – a delicious family meal.
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 4-6 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the minced lamb, increase the heat to high, and cook for 3–4 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns.
Add the thyme leaves, Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, ketchup, bay leaf and stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened slightly. Season to taste, then spoon into a shallow 2.25-litre ovenproof dish.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to steam for a couple of minutes in the colander to dry out a little. Pass through a potato ricer, or mash well until smooth.
Stir the butter into the mashed potato and then beat in the milk, a grating of nutmeg and season with white pepper and salt. Leave to cool slightly.
Put the mash into a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe the mash over the top of the lamb. Brush with a little melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling hot and golden brown.
Meanwhile, cook the peas in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and return to the pan. Over a low heat add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and mint and season to taste.
Remove the shepherd’s pie from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the minted peas.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 225g peeled carrots, finely diced
- 1-2 sticks of celery, trimmed, finely diced
- 900g minced lamb
- 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- squeeze of tomato ketchup
- 1 bay leaf
- 300-350ml lamb, chicken or vegetable stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Mash
- 1.5 kg peeled floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, cut into chunks
- 50g butter, melted, plus extra for brushing
- 60-70ml milk
- fresh nutmeg, for grating
- ground white pepper
- For the Minted Peas
- 300g frozen petit pois
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
- zest of ½ lemon
- To Serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley