I can't spell Shepherd's Pie

When I sought out a recipe for this classic comfort food I ran into some difficulty due to my inability to spell "shepherd." One would think that someone who frequently did well in Elementary school spelling bees would not have this problem. However, not once did it occur to me that there would be an "h" in the word. Naturally, once I found the proper spelling, it all made sense. Shep-herd - one who herds She(e)p.

In any case, this blog is about cooking, not spelling. On to the recipe! While this dish takes a little while to make from start to finish, it comes out beautifully and is so satisfying! It's one of my new favorites! Enjoy! (Please excuse my poor photography)

Shepherd's Pie
Source: Emeril Lagasse


Ingredients...


1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound chopped lamb shoulder or lamb fillet **I used Ground Beef**
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
**I also added about a cup of frozen corn**
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/4 cups lamb or beef stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound potatoes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white cheddar, grated

Directions...

Lightly grease a 6-cup baking dish and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the lamb and cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bay leaf, and cook, stirring, until their liquid is almost all gone, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until starting to color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with salted water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. Over low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and nutmeg, and mash to incorporate. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Remove from the heat.

Remove the pot with the meat from the heat. Remove the bay leaf. Spoon into the prepared dish and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until browned and bubbly on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Potato Leek Soup

This is one of my husband's favorite recipes and a really nice creamy soup for a chilly fall evening. I have to say that cleaning and chopping the leeks is not really my favorite thing, but I suffer through it for the sake of this delicious meal!

I did make a couple of changes to this recipe. Instead of using the "bouquet garni" I used ground black pepper, and dried herbs. I suppose if you didn't want little specks in your white soup, you could go for Emeril's technique, but I didn't care. Also, I left out the white pepper because I didn't have any and I also left out the cream. Once you blend the soup, I think it's creamy enough without.

Potato and Leek Soup
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse/Food Network

Ingredients...

• 1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 pound
• 2 bay leaves
• 20 black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 strips bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives

Directions...

Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Alternately, tie 2 leek leaves, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth.)

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. (Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.) Stir in the creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.

The Ultimate Stuffed Potatoes

I decided to make this recipe after picking up some chives at a local farm. I have to say the various flavors in this dish worked together beautifully! It was really delicious and is one of those dishes that is even better reheated the next day. The only thing I think I would change next time is to make the cheese sauce a little thinner. It was a little too "doughy" for me I think. So maybe less flour and more milk would be better?


The Ultimate Stuffed Potatoes
Recipe Courtesy of Tyler Florence/Food Network

Ingredients...

4 medium-sized Idaho potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
About 2 cups, plus more for topping, shredded sharp white Cheddar **I used regular cheddar
2 heads broccoli, florets, blanched in salty water
1/2 pound bacon, medium dice, cooked until crisp **I didn't use quite so much bacon...
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by baking the potatoes, as this will take the longest. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Pierce with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.

While they are baking prepare the stuffing. Make a mornay sauce by combining the butter and flour over medium heat and then whisking in the milk. Fold in about 2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Once melted, remove from heat and fold in the cooked broccoli florets, crispy bacon bits, chopped chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the potatoes are done make a cut across the top and squeeze it from the bottom so a small pouch opens up and the bottom is squared off. Spoon the filling over the top of the potato, sprinkle with cheese, season with pepper, to taste, and then pop in the oven for 2 more minutes until golden brown and bubbly.