Shepherd's Pie
The ultimate dish for a cold winter day, this hearty pie couldn't be more satisfying. This is my personal variation with sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
For meat filling
- 1.5 lb lean ground beef
- 1.5 lb ground veal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 2 bottles 8-10oz beef gravy
For potato topping
- 1 head of garlic 2 inches in diameter, cloves separated and left unpeeled
- 2 lb large sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 stick 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
For corn filling
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 10-oz package frozen corn
Instructions
- Brown the beef and veal in a medium to large pot. Drain off fats, pour gravy into meat and turn down to a simmer.
- Make potato topping while meat simmers:
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400
- Wrap garlic in a double thickness of foil and seal well. Roast until very soft, about 45 minutes.
- While garlic roasts, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes, then drain.
- Heat cream, milk, and butter in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper.
- Unwrap garlic and cool slightly, then peel cloves. Force hot potatoes and garlic through ricer into hot cream mixture and stir to combine. Stir in cheese and keep warm, covered.
Make corn filling:
- Cook onions and garlic in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until almost all of wine is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cream, rosemary, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Add corn and simmer 5 minutes. Discard rosemary.
Assemble pie:
- Reduce oven temperature to 375
- Top meat filling with corn filling, then spread potato mixture on top and brush with egg. Put baking dish in a foil-lined shallow baking pan (to catch drips) and bake until fillings are bubbling and potato mixture is browned around edge, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.