Photo Credit: Deliciousmagazine.co.uk
We feasted gloriously on Easter Sunday but, when the last dish was dried and the bits and bobs were put away, I realised we had enough leftover roast leg of spring lamb to make a second meal out of. Which got me to thinking…what to do…what to do?
Lamb Biryani sounded good…so too did Lamb Ragu…but it was good old-fashioned Lamb Shepherd’s Pie that eventually won me over.
Donal Skehan’s Hand Me Down Shepherd’s Pie recipe, posted over at Deliciousmagazine.co.uk, looked so simple and so delicious that I knew in an instant it was the best way to make “no waste” of our Easter Sunday feast.
If you take a quick look at the long list of ingredients, don’t be put off…it’s very likely you already have everything in your presses (cupboards) and fridge. In fact, I had frozen leftover mash potatoes in my freezer (!), so I was able to skip that step in the recipe below.
My family really enjoyed this dish. I’m going to take a guess that you and your family will too.
Enjoy!
Hand Me Down Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped (I added one more)
2 celery sticks, finely chopped (I added one more)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
75ml red wine
500g leftover slow-roast lamb, shredded (I diced mine)
100ml lamb or chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon tomato purée (paste)
800g floury potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons butter
2 large free-range egg yolks
25g grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then gently cook the onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 10-12 minutes until tender.
3. Add the thyme and red wine, then simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the leftover lamb, stock, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and tomato purée, then season. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the mixture has reduced. (I added the leftover peas from Easter Sunday dinner here)
5. Put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
6. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan and mash until smooth. Beat in the butter and egg yolks, then stir through the grated parmesan.
7. Spread the lamb mixture in a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish and top with the mash. Sprinkle over a little extra parmesan and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and bubbling.
Additional Notes, Related Articles & Credits:
* Though the photo shows it, the recipe does not call for peas. I added them anyway and they really brightened the dish up beautifully.
** How to freeze leftover mashed potatoes, from thekitchen.com.
*** Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe from inanirishhome.com.
**** Here’s my traditional Shepherd’s Pie Recipe.
In an Irish Home 