Spiced shepherd’s pie with feta and tahini mash

This spiced shepherd’s pie has all the comfort of the beloved lamb dish, but with a warming harissa and olive-spiked mince, plus creamy feta and tahini mash.

“When the time came to switch things up and re-create (improve) shepherd’s pie, I jumped at the chance. Shepherd’s pie nay-sayers: fear not, I’ve finally made this pie something to shout about!” says recipe developer Pollyanna Coupland. “The original dish does have one major thing going for it: the lamb. Rich and bold in flavour, lamb is an incredible vehicle for other strong flavours. Tagine, moussaka, shawarma – just three big-hitter lamb dishes that prove the meat is a natural partner for spice.”

“My twist stays true to the original in some ways – saucy lamb, onion, carrots and peas topped with potatoes – but throws in heaps of warming cumin, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg. Including both fresh and dried mint echoes a moussaka while acknowledging the classic British pairing of lamb with mint sauce. And a nod to tagine by way of green olives adds pops of briny tang.”

“The potato topping gets an upgrade too. After a brief dalliance with an over-tahini-ed mash (I’ve been in love with the combination ever since I discovered Sabrina Ghayour’s crushed new potatoes with tahini butter), I’ve dialled things back, reducing the tahini and adding a hit of sharp feta too. The combo ensures the mash is packed with flavour without being too rich. I use oat milk as I find the flavour goes well with tahini and it’s lighter than regular milk.”

“My pie was good but it was missing that little something – which turned out to be a bit of heat. A few dollops of harissa in the sauce balanced everything out perfectly. The result is a delicious combination of richly spiced lamb with a tangy, nutty, crispy mashed potato topping – a clear upgrade on the original if you ask me!”

Try our best-ever classic shepherd’s pie recipe next and compare the two…