Dan's Shepherd's Pie

[CarolineW]

Name of Recipe:  Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Number of People:  4
Ingredients:

1 bottle lager / bitter (doubt you'll need all of it, just enough to make sauce.  Will try to note specific quantities next time I make it)
Gravy granules (enough to thicken and richen.  I use Bisto powder)
ca 450g mince
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 pepper
sweetcorn (amount that looks good to you)
plus any other veggies you fancy, eg carrot, courgette, etc
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp branston pickle (or any chutney)
mixed herbs
1 tsp marmite
squirt of tomato pure (optional)
salt and lots of pepper

Topping:
Mashed potato made with butter, milk and lots of pepper (fairly stiff, not puree)

Preparation:

1.  Put onion, garlic, pepper and any other veg using into tm bowl and chop 1 sec / speed 7

2.  Add oil and cook 3 mins / 100oC / speed spoon

3.  Add meat and cook 10 mins / Varoma / spoon / reverse

4.  Add rest of ingredients (except for topping, of course   ) and cook 20 mins / varoma / spoon / reverse until meat is tender and sauce reduced.

5.  Pour into oven proof dish.  

6.  Make TM mashed potato, but using less milk so stiffer mix, Dan's original didn't use any stock in the mash either.

7.  Scoop over the top of the meat sauce, and spread out evenly.  Use a fork to finish off, so that the top is textured.  Dot with butter.

8.  Bake 30 mins until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.  Pre-heat oven to 180oC / 350oF / gas 4.  Aga ovens:  roasting oven 20-25 mins.

Photos:

Tips/Hints:  My brother in law, Dan, made this for us when we were visiting him a couple of months ago (not with a thermomix, though - I've converted it with the help of the Fast and Easy book).  I was still in my first trimester of pregnancy then, and hardly able to eat anything.  Amazingly, I loved this, and ate loads!  I may therefore have a skewed impression of how fantastic this recipe was, but certainly it left me with the impression that it was the best shepherd's pie I'd ever eaten.  I plan to make it soon.

members' comments

Caroline J - It was delicious! Tip- if using frozen peas and corn, add them once the meat is cooked, otherwise they go a bit mush...
Kids loved it, thanks! 5/5  This is a favourite in our house and a great one to hide vegies in for the kids.

theweewelshone - Another thumbs up here. It used the last of my Branston Pickle so I will have to remember to buy some more - I poured some hot water in the jar to get it all out. I did have to use Vegemite instead of Marmite as I didn't have any and couldn't even find my Promite. I made mine without beer - the branston pickle 'juice' was used instead for liquid. I took the MC off for the 20 mins cooking section and the sauce reduced nicely. I used 1 cup of frozen corn/peas/carrots and some diced mushrooms in mine.

Bubbles - I ran out of time when making this, so instead of making the mashed potato, I simply layered puff pastry on top of the mince mixture and browned it off in the oven. Very nice, enjoyed by the whole family and lots and lots of veggies smuggled in at the beginning too! Thanks.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Caroline - I thought that maybe you drink the bottle of lager while preparing the meal - but maybe it goes in the "rest of the ingredients" part?  Oh, bugger - thinking Dan was a man after my own heart.

Went to an British dinner last night with Toad-in-the-hole, scotch eggs, steak and oyster pud - this would have fitted in well. 

[CreamPuff63]

Thanks for the recipe Caroline. I will give this a try - and BTW what is Branston Pickle? Have gathered from previous posts that ca before a recipe means "approximate"

[baf65]

Branston pickle is a sort of chutney....its lovely on a bacon buttie!!  and you can get it in coles!

[CreamPuff63]

Thanks B65, I'll have a look for it in Coles and might also try the local British shop.

I Googled this: Branston pickle is a form of pickled relish which is extremely popular in Southern England. It contains an assortment of mixed pickled vegetables, blended with various spices in a thick brown sauce, leading many people to confuse it with chutney. In Britain, Branston pickle is readily available at most markets; outside of England, this specialty condiment is stocked by some importers and large markets, and it can also be ordered through companies which specialize in food imports.

[judydawn]

Don't think you will have any trouble getting it CP63 - even Foodland sell it.

[CarolineW]

When I went to make this the other week I discovered that we didn't have any Branston pickle left - apparently DH doesn't bother eating it any more, as he prefers mine (thanks, Thermie!  ).  So I popped some green tomato and pear chutney in instead.  It tasted even better than with the Branston.  So I wouldn't worry about finding the Branston especially for this recipe, CP63.  Any chutney seems to do the job   

[CarolineW]

Thanks Caroline - I thought that maybe you drink the bottle of lager while preparing the meal - but maybe it goes in the "rest of the ingredients" part?  Oh, bugger - thinking Dan was a man after my own heart.

LOL.  Well, you wouldn't want to waste the bit you don't use now, would you?!  You only add enough from the bottle to add some liquid to the sauce, and most bottles are bigger than that.  Got to admit that my version uses bitter, as we don't really drink lager in this house.  Tastes every bit as excellent.  And the chef appreciates it more 

[Katya]

I would have thought bitter or stout would give it more flavour than lager anyway 

[CarolineW]

I've modified the recipe now to take into account / warn about my approximates.  I'm not a very precise cook - sorry.  I just throw in what's to hand, and what looks right.

[Thermomixer]

Sounds like me CarolineW - sometimes worry when I think some poor sod is going to have to try and replicate this mess.

[CarolineW]

Sounds like me CarolineW - sometimes worry when I think some poor sod is going to have to try and replicate this mess.

 

[Caroline J]

I made this tonight   It was delicious! 

Tip- if using frozen peas and corn, add them once the meat is cooked, otherwise they go a bit mush...

Kids loved it, thanks!

5/5

[theweewelshone]

Another thumbs up here. It used the last of my Branston Pickle so I will have to remember to buy some more - I poured some hot water in the jar to get it all out . I did have to use Vegemite instead of Marmite as I didn't have any and couldn't even find my Promite.
I made mine without beer - the branston pickle 'juice' was used instead for liquid.
I took the MC off for the 20mins cooking section and the sauce reduced nicely.
I used 1 cup of frozen corn/peas/carrots and some diced mushrooms in mine.

Myf

[meganjane]

Welcome Myf!

I found a recipe for Branston Pickle that I'm planning to convert to the TMX on this website.