Potato gem shepherd’s pie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 25 g butter
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 large brown onion, finely diced
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 zucchinis, finely diced
• 1 kg lamb mince (or beef mince)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 75 g (½ cup) plain flour
• 125 ml (½ cup) white wine
• 1 litre beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 stalk rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 280 g (2 cups) frozen peas
• 800 g frozen potato gems

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Fry the garlic, onion, carrot, celery and zucchini for 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. 
2. Add the mince and fry for a few minutes or until browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon as you go.  Add the tomato paste and stir well, then add the flour and stir for 2 - 3 minutes or until well combined. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and herbs. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 
3. Uncover and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the mixture is the thickness you want from a shepherd’s pie filling. Remove the rosemary and bay leaves, then stir the peas into the warm mixture.
4. Preheat a fan – forced oven to 200˚C. Transfer the filling to a large baking dish and arrange the frozen potato gems to cover the entire top of the dish, with as few gaps as possible. Bake for 25 -30 minutes or until the potato gems are golden and crisp.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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