Go Back
Shepherd's Pie

Gordon Ramsay's Shepherd's Pie

The premier recipe for Shepherd's Pie! No sense in messing with the best.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

The Filling

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb ground lamb
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 1 large onion, grated
  • fresh rosemary, minced
  • fresh thyme, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 small can Tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup red wine

The Mash

  • 1 1/2 lb golden potatoes
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
 

Prep Work

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Mince the garlic.
  • Remove rosemary and thyme from stems and mince.
  • Grate the onion and carrot using a box grater or food processor.
  • Peel and slice potatoes into even pieces. Start the potatoes in a boiling pot of well salted water. They need to cook until soft, about 20 minutes, while you make the filling.

The Filling

  • Put olive oil in a large skillet and heat.
  • Add the ground lamb and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks with a wooden spoon.
  • Salt and pepper the lamb liberally as it cooks.
  • Add rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the carrot and onion and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Add more salt and pepper.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, stir, then add tomato paste, and stir again.
  • Add red wine (I use whatever medium to full bodied that we're drinking. Varietal doesn't change the flavor much, but I prefer a Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.), and let it cook down for a couple more minutes.
  • Taste the filling and add salt and pepper as needed.
  • When the filling is done, put it in a 9" x 13" ish baking dish.

The Mash

  • When the potatoes are soft, drain them, then return to the pan.
  • Keep the heat on, and let the excess water evaporate. You can mash them in the pan, or run them through a ricer.
  • Add the cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  • Add the egg yolks. Mix.
  • Add the parmesan cheese. Mix.

Assembly and Baking

  • Spoon the mash onto the top of the filling, making sure to cover the filling completely and evenly.
  • Using a fork, fluff the mash up a bit, then add more parmesan cheese to the top in a light layer.
  • Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes until it is nicely browned. Serve!