INTRODUCTION

I do not really have a chance to try my chicken shepherd pie.. I only had about 2 tablespoons of my pie while picture taking and it was wiped out by my kids during lunch while I ate other things.  Obviously they liked this shepherd pie.. Otherwise, for such a big portion, they will not be able to finish all..

I have to admit that I have no way to taste what is sold commercially as most is prepared using beef and lamb， both meat that I did not consume. If and only if I prepared at home myself, I will not be able to taste the real and authentic shepherd or cottage pie..

Don’t worry, this recipe is not created by myself but from a recipe from the Western website. I believed it is rather authentic as the ingredients used are mostly the same except the original recipe uses beef..

Per Wikipedia:

“Cottage pie or shepherd’s pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato. The dish is commonly made with beef or lamb. The term cottage pie was in use by 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor (cf. “cottage” meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers).  In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top. The term “shepherd’s pie” did not appear until 1877, and since then it has been used synonymously with “cottage pie”, regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or mutton. Folk etymology has led to the term “shepherd’s pie” being used when the meat is lamb, as shepherds are concerned with sheep and not cattle.” (Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottage_pie)

This shepherd pie is not as beautiful as I wanted it to be .. I believed that both the mashed potatoes and the fillings are rather soft as compared commercial sold. Possibly that is the reasons that the kids likes them very much. Though I just tasted two tablespoons, I liked them very much as it is very aromatic, creamy , buttery and soft… In my next attempt, I will adding less milk to the potatoes and fry the fillings drier,, I believed that will enhance the look of my cottage pie.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: 4-6 adult servings

Recipe adapted from:  Shepherd’s Pie (Cottage Pie) – Life In The Lofthouse

Meat Filling

• 500 grams of minced meat (beef, lamb, pork or chicken)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup of chicken broth or beef broth
• 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon of mixed dried herbs (oregano, basil and etc.)
• 1 1/2 cups of mixed vegetables (peas, corns and carrots)
• 1 cup of shredded cheese

Potato Layer

• About 1 kg of russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder  (optional)

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Boil the potatoes in some water until soft. Drain and transfer to a food processor, add the butter and gradually add the milk. Blend until it becomes mashed potatoes.  Please add the milk gradually and ensure that it is not too watery. If you do not have a food processor, you can easily use a fork to mash the potatoes.

• In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, sauté the garlics and onions until aromatic. Add the white pepper, salt, minced meat and stir fry until colour changes. Sprinkle the flour on top of the meat. Stir until well coated. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and the chicken or beef stock. Stir until well combined. Bring to boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes until your desired meat texture. If it is too sticky, add more water. If it is too watery, either add a bit more flour or cook longer to let more water evaporated out. The final filling shall be rather dry but very moist.

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

• Transfer the meat filling to a oven safe baking casserole. Level it and pipe in the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the mash potatoes. Level again and bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 30 minutes or until the fillings is hot and cheese has melted. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

CONCLUSION

i was told that cottage pie refers to beef pie whereas shepherd pie refer to lamb fillings. I believed the method of cooking is basically the same.. I apologize the poor images of this recipe as I was taking the images in a rush and I was rather brain dead when I did my picture taking. Should I prepare again, which I think I will soon, I will upload  a set of new images.

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