Shepherd's Pie with Braised Lettuce & Peas

I love shepherd's pie and always serve mine with peas gently braised with lettuce and spring onions- otherwise known as 'petits pois a la francaise' which I've adapted and reclaimed for us Brits! Serves four generously.

Shepherd's Pie Ingredients:

1 onion finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
500g minced beef
Olive oil
2 teaspoons plain flour
3/4 pint beef stock
1 teaspooon tomato puree
Teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves stripped from the stem or a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
Salt and pepper
5-6 floury potatoes
Butter for dotting on top

Peel, cook and mash the potatoes with a tbsp of butter and seasoning. Let cool.

Gently fry the onions and carrots in olive oil in a saucepan until slightly translucent and soft. Add the mince and brown all over. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring well. Add the beef stock (make with a cube or use marigold vegetable powder if you prefer) and stir continuously until boiling. Add seasoning, herbs and tomato puree and simmer, covered for 40 minutes. Check it every so often and add a little extra water if it becomes too dry. The meat should be moist with a little juice but in no way runny.

Set the oven to 200c. Put the meat into a oven proof dish. When slightly cooled, spread the potato over the top. Run a fork over the top to help the potato crisp in the oven. Dot the top with butter and cook in the oven for 30 minutes at which point the potato whould be tanned and crispy. Serve with peas as follows.

Braised Lettuce and Peas Ingredients:

2 tbsps butter
500g petits pois peas, frozen
1 small round lettuce or 2 little gems
Bunch of spring onions
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Shred the lettuce roughly and chop the spring onions. My preference is Little Gem but any lettuce will suffice. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the peas, letting the peas get glossy with the butter. After a minute, add the spring onions and lettuce and stir well. Add 50 ml boiling water, the sugar and season well. Now cover with a lid and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.

Just before serving, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the shepherd's pie.

For a great salmon recipe involving braised peas click here.

Comments

[Andrew]

I have to say that this recipe is excellent, dare I say better than my mother's? Well, almost. Jay introduced me to a somewhat heretical accompaniment to shepherd's pie - tomato ketchup! It goes with it brilliantly, especially if you squirt an ample amount all over the potato and mince. Delicious! Try it....