British Classic Shepherd's Pie! 😋🐑

Not just another name for Cottage Pie, Shepherd's Pie is very much its own thing! Sweet, succulent lamb in an incredible potato-topped pie. This one is to die for folks - get in here!
If you haven't seen the cottage pie video, check out the playlist at the end of this video, or click this link to skip straight there: • British Classic Cottag...
If you don't have a suitable dish, Amazon stock them (though to be fair so does Tesco or anywhere local really): amzn.to/4385qND
(The above is an affiliate link, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a qualifying purchase).
Recipe:
For the roasted lamb:
Take one 750g half-shoulder joint, locally-sourced if possible
Season generously with salt and black pepper
Place in a roasting tin on a bed of sliced onion
Add 250ml / 1 glass fruity red wine
Add three sprigs fresh rosemary
Roast at 170°C / 340°F convection (190°C / 375°F conventional), 55 minutes
Allow to rest and cool completely
For the filling:
Peel and roughly chop one brown onion
Peel and chop five or six cloves of garlic
Peel and very roughly chop three or four carrots
Brown 500g / 1lb good-quality generously-seasoned lamb mince over a medium-high heat
Reserve the fat that is released during cooking
Once browned, remove to a plate
Fry the carrots, moving regularly, for one to two minutes
Add a little of the lamb fat back into the pan
Reduce the heat and add the onions
Season generously with salt
Fry for three to five minutes until softened and translucent
Add half of the garlic - set the other half to one side for later
Fry gently, 30secs to 1 minute, until fragrant
Add the lamb mince back to the pan
Add 1tsp plain (all-purpose) flour and stir to combine
Add 1 glass, 250ml red wine (the same you used for roasting is fine)
Add Bouquet Garni (see below)
Add a good pinch of dried thyme
Add 2 good-quality lamb stock pots (I used Knorr, YMMV)
Add 1 glass, 250ml water
Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 30-45 minutes
Stir occasionally and adjust water if needed - you want the mixture to end up being quite dry and the carrots to be cooked, but still with a little bite.
Add a dash of cider vinegar, or other light vinegar of your choice
Check and adjust seasoning, allow to cool
For the mash:
Finely chop a handful of fresh rosemary
Peel five or six good-sized floury potatoes, I used Maris Piper
Chop into roughly one inch cubes
Soak for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear
Place in a pan of cold, generously seasoned water, over medium-high heat
Bring to a boil and cook for a total time (from cold) of 20mins, or until fork tender
Drain, reserving 2cups of the water, and allow to steam for five to ten minutes
Melt 50-100g salted butter in the potato pan over low heat
Once it begins to foam, add the reserved half of the chopped garlic
Cook, about 1 minute, until it just begins to colour
Add the rosemary and cook for another 30secs to 1 minute
Remove from the heat, add the potatoes
Lightly season and mash with your tool of choice
Once partially mashed, begin adding the potato water, a little at a time, and continue mashing until your desired texture is reached - it should be slightly drier than you would make it to serve as a side (but not too dry).
Taste for seasoning - salt and pepper are recommended
To assemble, place the filling into a square ovenproof dish, large enough to hold both filling and potato.
Level out, then top with the potato (see video for my method, or feel free to pipe it if that be your thing)
Ensure the end product has a rough surface
Grate over just a little fresh parmesan
Bake at 170°C / 340°F convection (190°C / 375°F conventional) for thirty to forty minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the filling has just started to bubble through.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve generously with some green vegetables of your choice.
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