Guinness Shepherd's Pie

Here is my take on Irish peasant food.



Get 2 pounds of spuds in a hot tub. Let them roll, back down the heat and cover. Preheat the oven to tree fiddy, set yer cast iron on the stove and let her get smoking hot.



When pan is hot, add a few TBSP's of grapeseed oil (or other high temp oil) and throw in 2 pounds of ground lamb. When the lamb is halfway browned, throw in some onions and celery and cook until onions are mostly caramelized.



When the lamb and onions are cooked good, add 2 TBSP of flour (I use whole wheat) and stir that meep up. Add a half bottle of Guinness, and then drink the other half. Let this cook while stirring for a few moments. Turn off heat.



Season with sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, thyme, marjoram, and any other herbs you like. Keep in mind this still will cook longer, so add enough herbs to season the dish, and then add some more. Stir in some peas (which is what I had on hand). Don't like peas? add carrots, diced turnips, gummy bears, or whatever the meep you want. You can't go wrong.



Mash them taters with a stick of meeper, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. You want them thinner than usual, as they need to be spreadable. You also need them to be seasoned well. They will be the 'crust', and they need to have a separate flavor profile. Add a big handful of grated cheddar cheese and then taste them. Are they seasoned well enough? if not, adjust.



Smooth them mashed spuds over the lamb. It will look and smell good enough to eat at this point, but resist. You can sprinkle some paprika over the potatoes at this point if you're a Coldplay fan. Toss this into your preheated oven for 40 minutes.



This will be the goodness you will pull from the oven. While it's resting, throw some salads together and open some red wine. After about 10 minutes, Give thanks to God you weren't born in meeping Ireland, and dig in.

Slinte mhr