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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare the vegetables for the filling: dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and finely dice the onion.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the lamb mince. Season generously with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brown the lamb mince, breaking it up as it cooks, until it's deeply caramelized and browned. This step is crucial for flavor. Remove the browned lamb with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the same pan with the lamb drippings. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes.

While the vegetables are sautéing, finely chop the fresh rosemary and thyme, and mince the garlic. Add these aromatics to the softened vegetables in the pan. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook it down for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to deepen in color and flavor. Return the browned lamb mince to the pan with the vegetables.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the lamb stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pan and let the filling cook gently for 20 minutes.

While the lamb filling simmers, prepare the mashed potato topping. Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter, heavy cream, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, egg yolks, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Return to the lamb filling. Uncover the pan and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces down to a thick, rich gravy consistency. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Ensure the filling is not watery.

Turn off the heat from the lamb filling. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the frozen peas. Mix well to combine.

Transfer the thick lamb filling to an oven-safe baking dish (a 9x13 inch dish works well). Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle (or simply a spoon), pipe or spread the mashed potato topping evenly over the lamb filling. For a more structured top, pipe two layers of mash to prevent the sauce from seeping through.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese over the piped mashed potato topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden brown and crispy, and the filling is bubbling.

Remove the shepherd's pie from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with finely chopped fresh chives.


Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare the vegetables for the filling: dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and finely dice the onion.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the lamb mince. Season generously with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brown the lamb mince, breaking it up as it cooks, until it's deeply caramelized and browned. This step is crucial for flavor. Remove the browned lamb with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the same pan with the lamb drippings. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes.

While the vegetables are sautéing, finely chop the fresh rosemary and thyme, and mince the garlic. Add these aromatics to the softened vegetables in the pan. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook it down for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to deepen in color and flavor. Return the browned lamb mince to the pan with the vegetables.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the lamb stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pan and let the filling cook gently for 20 minutes.

While the lamb filling simmers, prepare the mashed potato topping. Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter, heavy cream, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, egg yolks, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Return to the lamb filling. Uncover the pan and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces down to a thick, rich gravy consistency. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Ensure the filling is not watery.

Turn off the heat from the lamb filling. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the frozen peas. Mix well to combine.

Transfer the thick lamb filling to an oven-safe baking dish (a 9x13 inch dish works well). Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle (or simply a spoon), pipe or spread the mashed potato topping evenly over the lamb filling. For a more structured top, pipe two layers of mash to prevent the sauce from seeping through.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese over the piped mashed potato topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden brown and crispy, and the filling is bubbling.

Remove the shepherd's pie from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with finely chopped fresh chives.
