Ah, who doesn’t love the warm comfort of a good Shepherd’s Pie. Continuing on our British theme, this is a great option for dinner parties because it can be made in individual ramakins for fun plating or family style and you just scoop it on.  And, it is undoubtedly British.  This recipe offers an interesting change to the traditional potato topping by replacing with a combination of eggs and cream.  I, myself, am not a fan of lamb so I just replace that ingredient with extra lean ground beef or ground chicken; the choice is yours.  We kept the original recipe to be truly authentic.

Filling

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 4.5 lbs of lamb shoulder, fat and sinew trimmed, minced
• 6 tbsp of tomato purée
• 2 tbsp of mild curry powder

Topping

• 4 free-range eggs
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 570 ml of double cream
• 50 ml of brandy
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

• For the shepherd’s pie filling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat, add the onion and garlic and fry until softened and pale golden-brown. Add the minced lamb and fry, stirring continuously, until golden-brown. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the tomato purée and curry powder until well combined
• Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has boiled away. Season to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and set aside
• Preheat the oven to 350F and make a start on the shepherd’s pie topping. In a bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, nutmeg and sugar until pale, fluffy and well combined. Stir in the cream and brandy and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Strain the topping mixture through a sieve into a jug and carefully pour it over the filling mixture. Alternatively put the topping mixture once strained into a piping bag and pipe over the filling
• Place the dish into a roasting tray and carefully pour enough boiling water into the roasting tray to reach halfway up the sides of the dish
• Transfer the bain-marie to the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping has set and is pale golden-brown
• To serve, spoon a portion of the shepherd’s pie into the centre of each serving plate. Dish up with a fresh salad, dressed with some lime juice and a little olive oil

Recipe Credit: Chef Galton Blackiston