As summer slowly simmers down and we slip into the Fall, I’m feeling more and more compelled to cook more and more comfort food. My ideal “comfort food” is starchy and savory, with plenty of fat or butter. I love to make biscuits and gravy, potatoes au gratin, or 4-5-6-7-8 cheese macaroni. Tonight I did a bit of experimentation in the kitchen, and came out with a delicious recipe that I’m glad to call my own!
Shepherd’s Pie with a White Wine and Balsamic Reduction
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The Mashed Potato “Crust”:
1.5 lbs potatoes, (russet or gold, whichever you prefer)
1 stick salted butter (some may prefer to reduce this by half)
about ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sour cream
2 egg yolks (as per Gordon Ramsay’s instruction on Hell’s Kitchen)
salt and pepper, to taste
This part of the recipe is very straightforward. I generally don’t peel the potatoes. Quarter your potatoes and place them in a large pot, covered with water. Bring the water to a boil and allow them to cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the water.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to break down potatoes and mix in the ingredients. Don’t beat the potatoes to death, though. Some small chunks can be nice. Add cream until the potatoes are firm, but still fluid enough to spread over your pie. You can complete this component in advance if you wish, or use leftover mashed potatoes in a pinch.
The filling:
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup white onions, coarsely chopped
1 lb ground beef (I like to use 75% or 80% lean for this recipe)
3 large carrots, oblique cut
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh parsley, chopped
green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
Cover a large skillet in olive oil and heat the oil on low heat. Add the garlic and onions, and allow them to sweat until the onions are translucent. In the meantime, par-cook the carrots in boiling water for about 3 minutes, just to soften them a little bit. When they are slightly tender, strain out the water and set them aside.
When you first start to really smell the garlic releasing it’s aroma, adjust the stove to medium heat and add your tomato paste, allowing it to brown for a minute or two before adding your ground beef. By doing this you’re creating several layers of flavor in your dish.
Allow the beef to brown completely, then add your carrots, peas, and, green beans, mixing well and coating all of your vegetables in oil. (Side note: if you choose to glaze the carrots in the balsamic, leave them out for this step.) Simmer the mixture until all of the vegetables are cooked and most of the water has evaporated out of the skillet.
Now, move your meat and vegetable mixture to the dish you plan to bake your pie in. (A large pie tin will do the trick, but I really love to bake this pie in a 8’’ or 9’’ cast iron skillet, because if you choose to omit the balsamic sauce, you can use the same skillet from the stove to the oven.) Try to get all of the bits of food out of your original skillet, but don’t rinse the skillet, as this is where you’ll be making your balsamic sauce.
Stir in about 3 sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. Then spoon your mashed potatoes onto the meat mixture, spreading it evenly so that it neatly covers the meat mixture like a pie crust. Cook the pie for about 20 minutes to firm up the “crust” and allow the pie to set.
(I like to cover the pie in shredded cheddar and parmesan halfway through baking.)
As the pie cooks, you can make your Balsamic reduction. First, you’ll deglaze your pan with a splash of white cooking wine. This will pick up all the yummy bits from your pan and add them to your sauce. Then simply add the balsamic vinegar and cook it over medium heat, keeping the liquid at a light simmer until you see the vinegar become somewhat viscous. When the sauce begins to cling to the pan lightly, your balsamic glaze is ready to serve.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Bon Appetit!
Shepherd’s Pie with a White Wine and Balsamic Reduction
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This is my own preparation of the savory meat pie that I fell in love with during a trip to London a few years ago. The recipe is very recipient to change, so feel free to manipulate it as you like. I like to change up the vegetables used for the filling, sometimes adding leeks or corn to the mix. Although I prefer to serve the Balsamic Reduction on the side, it can be used to glaze your carrots before tossing them into the pie. I’ve broken this recipe into three separate sections to make it seem as simple as it really is.
The Mashed Potato “Crust”:
1.5 lbs potatoes, (russet or gold, whichever you prefer)
1 stick salted butter (some may prefer to reduce this by half)
about ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sour cream
2 egg yolks (as per Gordon Ramsay’s instruction on Hell’s Kitchen)
salt and pepper, to taste
This part of the recipe is very straightforward. I generally don’t peel the potatoes. Quarter your potatoes and place them in a large pot, covered with water. Bring the water to a boil and allow them to cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the water.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to break down potatoes and mix in the ingredients. Don’t beat the potatoes to death, though. Some small chunks can be nice. Add cream until the potatoes are firm, but still fluid enough to spread over your pie. You can complete this component in advance if you wish, or use leftover mashed potatoes in a pinch.
The filling:
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup white onions, coarsely chopped
1 lb ground beef (I like to use 75% or 80% lean for this recipe)
3 large carrots, oblique cut
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh parsley, chopped
green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
Cover a large skillet in olive oil and heat the oil on low heat. Add the garlic and onions, and allow them to sweat until the onions are translucent. In the meantime, par-cook the carrots in boiling water for about 3 minutes, just to soften them a little bit. When they are slightly tender, strain out the water and set them aside.
When you first start to really smell the garlic releasing it’s aroma, adjust the stove to medium heat and add your tomato paste, allowing it to brown for a minute or two before adding your ground beef. By doing this you’re creating several layers of flavor in your dish.
Allow the beef to brown completely, then add your carrots, peas, and, green beans, mixing well and coating all of your vegetables in oil. (Side note: if you choose to glaze the carrots in the balsamic, leave them out for this step.) Simmer the mixture until all of the vegetables are cooked and most of the water has evaporated out of the skillet.
Now, move your meat and vegetable mixture to the dish you plan to bake your pie in. (A large pie tin will do the trick, but I really love to bake this pie in a 8’’ or 9’’ cast iron skillet, because if you choose to omit the balsamic sauce, you can use the same skillet from the stove to the oven.) Try to get all of the bits of food out of your original skillet, but don’t rinse the skillet, as this is where you’ll be making your balsamic sauce.
Stir in about 3 sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. Then spoon your mashed potatoes onto the meat mixture, spreading it evenly so that it neatly covers the meat mixture like a pie crust. Cook the pie for about 20 minutes to firm up the “crust” and allow the pie to set.
(I like to cover the pie in shredded cheddar and parmesan halfway through baking.)
The Balsamic Reduction:
1 splash white cooking wine, (this can be substituted with any white or red wine of your choosing. Be creative. I’d be interested to hear what you come up with!)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 splash white cooking wine, (this can be substituted with any white or red wine of your choosing. Be creative. I’d be interested to hear what you come up with!)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
As the pie cooks, you can make your Balsamic reduction. First, you’ll deglaze your pan with a splash of white cooking wine. This will pick up all the yummy bits from your pan and add them to your sauce. Then simply add the balsamic vinegar and cook it over medium heat, keeping the liquid at a light simmer until you see the vinegar become somewhat viscous. When the sauce begins to cling to the pan lightly, your balsamic glaze is ready to serve.
_____________________________________________________
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Bon Appetit!
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