Shepherd's Pie

This is what I just made for dinner - Shepherd's Pie. The idea came from the recipe section of the new issue of Hobby Farms magazine. I used the ingredients from that recipe but modified the technique based on the recipe in Farmhouse Cookbook which, oddly, used beef instead of lamb. Here it is:

Mashed Potatoes

2# potatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 T. butter
1 egg

Meat and Veggies

1 1/2 # ground lamb
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

Sauce

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 cup lamb stock
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Boil the potatoes until tender and drain. Heat the milk and butter in the microwave until the butter is melted and add to potatoes along with the egg. Salt and pepper to taste. Mash.

Meanwhile, brown the lamb in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Remove the lamb when cooked through and saute the onions in the lamb fat until they are clear. Add the carrots and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

In a second small skillet, melt the butter for the sauce and add the flour to make a roux. Cook while whisking for a couple minutes until you get a nice brown color. Add the stock and worcestershire sauce and cook for another couple minutes until thick and bubbly.

Add the meat back into the veggies and pour the sauce over top. Add the peas and stir. Then spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread to the edge of the skillet. Place this about 6" under the broiler until the potatoes start to brown on top.

Yum.