Shepherd's Pie is the kind of dish that can taste and look like the worst cafeteria food or, if made with a bit of care and fresh ingredients, can be a beautiful gift of comfort food.
It gets that cafeteria look when there isn't enough gravy, when the vegetables are canned or frozen and when blobs of mashed potatoes - most likely instant - aren't baked on but rather scooped.
With St. Patrick's Day coming up Tuesday, and some cool days still around, I decided to try to make Shepherd's Pie at home.
I found an excellent recipe in the newest offering from Cook's Illustrated, "The Best Skillet Recipes."
As I learned in the introduction to the dish, the stew was actually first developed in northern Britain, in an area known for lamb production (hence, Shepherd's Pie). The mish-mash dish was often made on Mondays, recycling leftovers from a Sunday dinner of roast, vegetables and mashed potatoes. The original was made with lamb, but ground beef is often substituted today.
In this recipe, the authors have added ingredients such as tomato paste, fresh thyme and Worcestershire sauce to give the gravy a pop of flavor that suggests hours of slow cooking, which is impressive since it takes less than an hour to make.
Michelle Culhane, one of four Irish sisters who own Culhane's Irish Pub at Atlantic Beach, said it was a staple in her household.
Although corned beef and cabbage is a No. 1 seller in her pub, it's not something she ate growing up in Ireland.
"Shepherd's Pie is one the most traditional Irish dishes I know of," she said. Culhane said the meal became popular in Ireland for a simple reason: It's easy to make, it makes a lot and it's cheap. Although there are many variations, most Shepherd's Pies are made with ground meat, potatoes, carrots, peas and onions.
Culhane didn't want to give away too many details about the ingredients for the pub's house Shepherd's Pie, but she did say the gravy is made with Guinness beer and a little brown sugar.
When I made my pie last week, I decided to follow the Cook's Illustrated recipe precisely, and I must say, it was excellent.
The Cook's Illustrated folks are the same people who produce "America's Test Kitchen" on PBS, and I find their cookbooks very easy to follow. And, while I feel like some cookbook authors tell you to add this or that willy-nilly, the Cook's Illustrated recipes are always well-tested, and the authors often explain their reasoning on why they do what.
For example, the Cook's Illustrated recipe calls for adding two egg yolks to the mashed potatoes that top the dish. The authors explain that the eggs help hold the mashed potatoes together. In tests with simple mashed potatoes, the potatoes "crumbled and broke down while baking."
What brought this dish a long way from the cafeteria mush I've had was the fresh thyme. I removed the leaves from stems and minced them as finely as I could, releasing an amazing smell in my kitchen.
When it was all together and in the oven, my house smelled so good I walked outside and came back in so I could fully appreciate the wonderful aroma.
Once scooped into bowls, we enjoyed the meal with a hunk of warm bread and butter and a Black and Tan made with Guinness and Harp. Enjoy the recipe, and Happy St. Patrick's Day.
