Shepard's Pie

As the snow comes and goes, I hardly notice as I sit in front of our wood stove, snuggled between a lazy Labrador and a sleepy four year old. It is this rare moment when I seize the opportunity to have total control of the television remote, and watch cooking shows. I know, I know, I usually read a book, but I have been deprived of television for nearly 10 years. I quickly make notes as I watch cast iron cooking, Greek cooking, some guy who travels around and eats grilled meat, and etc....Okay, it becomes mindless very quickly, and the fire is dwindling, and my four year old found a whoopie cushion, and so off goes the t.v., and back comes reality. I liked the ideas of the cast iron cooking show. I have a set of cast iron skillet, passed down from my grandparents, very well seasoned, and very ready to be used.

I settled on Shepard's pie. I had some ground lamb I had gotten from a barter a month ago. I love how bartering is so embraced in rural northern Minnesota. Give a friend a ride and swap some lamb meat. It has been a while since I have eaten lamb. I had forgotten how tender and delicious it is. I sauteed the lamb, then set it aside. I poured out all but a few tablespoons of the fat and left it in the pan. I then caramelized onions, celery, and carrots in the lamb fat. While the caramelizing was happening, I boiled equal parts cauliflower and Yukon gold potatoes in salted water. I really like eating cauliflower this way. The cauliflower adds a bit of earthy vegetable-ness, and the Yukon gold potatoes lend their buttery-ness to create a great mash to top the Shepard's pie with.

It all came together very easily. There were minimum spices; salt, black pepper, and some cinnamon in the lamb and vegetable mixture. I used freshly grated asiago cheese in the cauliflower/ potato mash, and topped the whole pie with extra grated asiago. I served it right out of the skillet, and it was the perfect ending to a busy, wintery day.


Shepard's Pie

1 pound ground lamb
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
sea salt and black pepper to taste

The topping
1 pound fresh cauliflower, cut into medium florets
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, large dice
4 Tbl butter
4 Tbl sour cream
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
sea salt

You'll want to pre-heat the skillet on medium-high heat.  Add the lamb and saute until golden brown. Remove the lamb from the skillet, and drain off all of the fat except a few tablespoons. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and caramelize until they are golden around the edges. Add the garlic, cinnamon and flour and saute a few minutes to caramelized the garlic and cook the flour a bit. Slowly add the red wine (I used an Australian Syrah), all the while slowly stirring. Add the stock, and give it one last stir making sure it is all combined. Turn the heat down to low, and allow the mixture to reduce a bit and for the flour to completely do its thickening, about 5 minutes. If the mixture seems too thick, add more stock. You also don't want the mixture to be too wet, or it will bubble and ooze out of the pan while baking in the oven. Give this mixture a taste, adding more cinnamon, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. Turn off the heat, and let this mixture hang out a few minutes while you mash the cauliflower and potatoes.

While all of the above is happening in your cast iron skillet, bring the cauliflower and the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Boil until fork tender, and drain. I used an old fashioned potato masher to mash the potatoes, cauliflower, butter, sour cream and cheese together. Add sea salt to taste. Carefully spread this mixture on top of the mixture in the cast iron skillet. I used an off-set spatula to make a smooth surface, sealing the edges. Top with grated asiago cheese, and bake at 400 degrees until the cheese starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before you try to cut into it. Waiting that 10-15 minutes is the toughest part of this entire recipe. Your house will be warmer and fragrant from the lamb and cinnamon. I enjoyed this with a glass of the same wine I used in the recipe. Belly up!!