Special shepherd’s pie

Special shepherd’s pie

Chef Gary Lee uses lamb and beef mince in The Ivy’s infamous shepherd’s pie recipe. The combination elevates it from a humble dish to a hybrid between two comfort foods – cottage and shepherd’s pie.

Special shepherd’s pie

  • Serves icon Serves 6
  • Time icon Hands-on time 1 hour, oven time 45 min

Chef Gary Lee uses lamb and beef mince in The Ivy’s infamous shepherd’s pie recipe. The combination elevates it from a humble dish to a hybrid between two comfort foods – cottage and shepherd’s pie.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
662kcals
Fat
35.3g (16.5g saturated)
Protein
34.9g
Carbohydrates
43.4g (8.6g sugars)
Fibre
6.4g
Salt
1g

See Wine Match

Ingredients

  • 400g British lean lamb mince
  • 400g good quality British beef mince
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
  • 200g button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 150ml red wine
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 300ml fresh veal stock (from some supermarkets; if you can’t find it use fresh beef stock)
  • 3 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

For the topping

  • 1kg potatoes (king edward or maris piper), chopped into equal chunks
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 50g strong cheddar, grated
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Method

  1. Put the lamb and beef mince in a large bowl, drizzle with a little oil, then mix well with your fingers. Heat a large frying pan until smoking, then cook the meat, mixing continuously, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the meat and juices to a bowl.
  2. In the same pan, heat a little oil, then gently cook the shallots, thyme, mushrooms and carrots for about 8 minutes. Return the mince and juices to the pan, then mix in the tomato purée. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes and red wine, then bubble to reduce for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and mix well, then add the worcestershire sauce and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, taste and add more worcestershire sauce if needed. Add the oregano, then set aside.
  4. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water, covered with a lid, for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain in a colander, then return to the pan and set over a gentle heat to remove any excess moisture. Take off the heat. Using a masher or potato ricer, thoroughly mash the potatoes, then mix in the butter and season to taste.
  5. Spoon the meat mixture into a 2 litre ovenproof dish or 6 x 300ml individual ovenproof dishes. Top with the mashed potato (you can pipe this if you want to be cheffy), then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden and piping hot.

Nutrition

Calories
662kcals
Fat
35.3g (16.5g saturated)
Protein
34.9g
Carbohydrates
43.4g (8.6g sugars)
Fibre
6.4g
Salt
1g

delicious. tips

  1. At The Ivy they serve the shepherd’s pie with a side of buttered peas and carrots.

  2. Chill the assembled pie, covered, for up to 48 hours, or freeze for up to a month and defrost, then bake as in step 5.

What's the perfect wine match?

Our friends at Majestic Wine recommend Dogajolo CarpinetoA juicy blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, the Dogajolo’s fragrant cherry notes will work wonders with this meat-laden ragu and creamy potatoes.

Use promo code DELICIOUS to get £10 off your order when you spend £40 or more.

£11.99 | Buy Now See all Italian Reds

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Recipe By

Gary Lee, The Ivy

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Read what others say...

  1. Just made this and it’s waiting to go in the oven when family arrive. My eldest son has been excited about this all week – loves his food. Taste is wonderful. It is very rich. I had double the ingredients (mostly) so made some extra pots for freezing and a friend took one home. Just about got it all to fit in the pan. Needs something very light for afters, but probably won’t need anything else for the rest of the weekend! I used a very deep red wine and took care of what wasn’t needed in the recipe :)

  2. I thought I made an excellent shepherd’s pie but this recipe is probably the best I have ever made. I wondered at first about a. using mixed meat and b. using tinned tomatoes, but believe me, the result is rich and really delicious! Hubby loves it.

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