Classic “Shepherd’s Pie”

If you are looking for a quick recipe for dinner, then this is not the one. However, if you are looking for a delicious recipe, then you are spot on! “Hachis Parmentier” or “Shepherd’s Pie” is part of the traditional french cuisine, and you should take your time while preparing it. What I like about this recipe is that you can adapt it in so many ways, and thus this makes it ideal to use up all your leftovers. 

I believe I had this dish for the first time in Paris, where my family and I were visiting my sister who was studying there. As a child I was a very anxious about unknown foods, and I often relied on my mother’s opinion: ” It’s OK Milly, you can eat this.” 🙂 How things have changed since then and I am glad! What would have missed out on, if I hadn’t discovered my love for different food and tastes. I am still not as adventurous as my dad was when it comes to food, but there is still time !

Later on, I was so happy to discover that this dish, known as “shepherd’s pie” is also very popular in the English cuisine. I guess that countries, habits and people are not so different after all 🙂

Start of by peeling the potatoes and cook them in salted water. While they boil, fry the chopped onion and garlic in a little oil and add the minced meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the meat is cooked, add the flour and mix well. Then add the tomato paste and the broth. The flour will bond the liquid and the sauce will thicken. Now add Worcester sauce, chopped rosemary and thyme to taste and set everything aside. If you like, you can add a dash of cream or some different vegetables like carrots or peas. 

When the potatoes are cooked, add the egg, the milk and if required some butter and cream. Add salt, pepper and ground nutmeg and blend everything together to obtain mashed potatoes. Spread the meat in an ovenproof dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Let it finish cooking in the oven until the potatoes turn golden brown. Et voilà 🙂

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And if you are interested in how fats work in your body then check out this article in my blog section “The bubbly biochemist” !

Shopping list (for ca. 4-5 portions):

• 1 kg potatoes
• Salted water
• 300 g minced meat
• 1 onion
• 2 loves of garlic
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp tomato puree
• 200 ml broth
• Worcester sauce to taste
• Chopped fresh rosemary
• Chopped fresh thyme
• (cream)
• Salt / pepper / nutmeg
• a dash of milk
• (cream)
• (butter)