Shepherd’s Pie

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cups carrot, rinsed, peeled, and finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cups celery, rinsed and finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 pound lamb steak, trimmed and sliced into ½-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 ¼ cups lamb stock or beef broth
• 2 teaspoon tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, stemmed and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Garnish

• 1 ¼ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, about 4 medium
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Milk for desired consistency

Rinse and peel potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes, and transfer to a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover, ½ teaspoon salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are knife tender. Drain and set them back on the heat for 1 minute, uncovered, to steam. Transfer then to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or electric beater. Add butter, cream, salt, and pepper. Continue to mash potatoes until they are smooth, adding milk as needed until they are fluffy. Cover and set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and saute several minutes until they begin to soften. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute, and add cubed lamb. Cook 5 minutes or until the lamb is just cooked through. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add lamb stock, tomato puree, and Worcestershire, and stir well to mix. If the mixture is too thick, add additional stock one tablespoon at a time, until the gravy is the desired consistency. Season with chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir in peas. Cook 1 minute more, then transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish.

Spoon large dollops of mashed potato over the casserole and smooth with a rubber spatula, sealing the edges well. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the potato crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings