Name: Shepherd's pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 5–6
Cuisine: AU-British
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 carrot, finely chopped; 1 celery stick, finely chopped; ¾ tsp dried thyme; ¾ tsp dried rosemary; 750 g lamb mince (or beef for cottage pie); ¼ cup plain flour; ¼ cup tomato paste; 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock; 125 ml (½ cup) red wine (or water); 1 beef stock cube, crumbled; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 bay leaves; ¾ tsp cooking salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 cup frozen peas; 1.2 kg potatoes, peeled, 2.5 cm cubes; 160 ml (⅔ cup) milk; 30 g unsalted butter (mash); 2–3 tbsp grated parmesan (optional); 30 g unsalted butter, melted (top)

Method

Cook onion and garlic in oil 1 minute, then carrot, celery and herbs 3 minutes until sweet.
Turn heat up, brown the lamb, breaking it up. Stir in flour, then tomato paste, stock, wine, stock cube, Worcestershire and bay.
Simmer rapidly about 30 minutes until a thick gravy. Season. Stir in peas. Spread in a 1.5 litre dish. Cool 1–2 hours if you can (easier to top).
Heat oven to 180°C. Boil potatoes in plenty of water 15 minutes until soft. Drain, steam-dry 30 seconds.
Mash with butter then milk until smooth and spreadable. Spread over filling, fork-ruffle, sprinkle parmesan, drizzle melted butter.
Bake 30–40 minutes until deep golden and bubbling. Rest 5 minutes.

Tip: Cool the filling before topping so the mash does not sink. Sauce thickness in the pan is the thickness you get after baking — reduce it properly. Lamb = shepherd’s; beef = cottage pie.