The History of Shepherd’s Pie (2024)

FAQs

Where did shepherd's pie originate? ›

While Shepherd's Pie came out as one of the best ways to deal with the leftovers, the results were also delicious. After that, it became one of the most sought-after dishes in the two countries. Since Ireland and the United Kingdom had such a long union, both of them claim the origin of the Shepherd's Pie.

The name “shepherd's pie” first appeared in an English cookbook of 1877 that attributes the dish to Scotland while complaining that it is “too farinaceous,” since the potato topping was evidently itself topped by a wheat-flour shell.

According to the Oxford Companion to Food, once upon a time, Scotland made its shepherd's pies with pastry instead of mashed potatoes. Indian cooks once considered shepherd's pie to be a perfect dish for tiffin (a word used to mean a light snack in British India).

Simply put, after making a weekend roast, unused meat was repurposed into a pie using affordable potatoes as a crust. This frugal, albeit clever, meal suggests the name “cottage pie” referred to the consumers of the dish—poor Irish peasants (remember, they lived in cottages).

From Egypt to Rome via Greece. The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent a dish close to what we know as a pie today. They had a honey filling covered in a crusty cake made from oats, wheat, rye or barley. A recipe for chicken pie was also discovered on a tablet carved prior to 2000 BC.

The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.

Most workers ate their meat, potatoes and corn separately but workers of mainly Asian origins, combined their rations to create shepherd's pie, a more communal dish. The French-Canadian railway workers liked this new concoction, adopted the dish, and called it “pâté chinois”, which loosely translates to Chinese pie.

The main difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's pie is cottage pie uses ground beef, and Shepherd's pie uses ground lamb. Both pies are cooked with vegetables and gravy and baked under a layer of mashed potatoes. To make Shepherd's pie using this recipe, simply substitute ground lamb.

"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.

Ketchup: Ketchup will add a little tang to the ground beef mixture. Beef Broth: Beef broth creates a gravy-like consistency in the middle. Cheese: Top the shepherd's pie with extra Cheddar for a cheesy finish.

How long can you eat shepherd's pie for? ›

Freshly baked shepherd's pie will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge; refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

History. An early recipe is found in Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery, published in 1747. Her recipe mashed them in a saucepan with milk, salt, and butter.

It's rich, savoury and includes some clever flavour-boosting additions (see the next key ingredients) plus stock. Worcestershire sauce: we love the addition of Worcestershire sauce as it brings a deep umami flavour and a sweet, tangy and spicy punch all at once.

Natchitoches is the official Meat Pie Capital of Louisiana. Like so many Louisiana dishes the meat pie is a blend of various cultures. The recipe has evolved over the last 300+ years. Introduced in Louisiana in the 1700's by Native Americans and later improved (spiced up) by the Spanish.

While Australia certainly claimed ownership of this gastronomic alchemy of meat, gravy and pastry, meat pies have roots to ancient Greece and Rome. There's something to be said about the way our country embraces the meat pie.