How To Make Shepherd's Pie

0:00What started as a humble way to turn

0:01leftover meat and potatoes into a meal

0:03has become one of Britain and Ireland's

0:06most beloved [music]

0:07comfort foods. Shepherd's pie is all

0:09about layers of rich, savory filling,

0:12creamy mashed potatoes, and a [music]

0:13perfect golden crust. We've tested

0:16different ways to get each layer just

0:18right, and today [music] we're breaking

0:19down the basics for making the most

0:21delicious shepherd's pie. But first,

0:24let's do a quick history lesson.

0:26>> [music]

0:26>> In 18th century Britain and Ireland,

0:28households began topping leftover

0:30roasted meat with mashed [music]

0:32potatoes, a practical way to stretch a

0:34meal and avoid waste. The dish first

0:36appeared under the name cottage pie

0:38around 1791, referring [music] to minced

0:40meat topped with mashed potatoes, a name

0:43tied to the modest working-class

0:44cottages where it was typically made.

0:46The term shepherd's pie didn't emerge

0:48until the 1870s, when it came to

0:50describe a version made with minced lamb

0:52or mutton, reflecting the meat shepherds

0:54had most direct access to.

0:56Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made

0:58with lamb, while beef makes it a cottage

1:01pie. And before you get mad, here's why

1:03we are using both.

1:04>> [music]

1:04>> A 50/50 blend gives us the lamb's rich,

1:07earthy flavor, and the beef helps

1:09balance [music] the richness. We're

1:10using an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio ground

1:14lamb and beef because the extra fat will

1:16add flavor and keep the meat [music]

1:18moist through both the skillet and oven.

1:20Start by heating vegetable oil in a

1:22large skillet over medium-high heat.

1:24Press the lamb into a flat, even layer

1:26and leave it alone for about 4 minutes.

1:29The goal here [music] is a deep brown

1:31crust. Think of it like treating the

1:32meat as one giant steak. By searing the

1:34meat in one large sheet before breaking

1:37it up, we're maximizing contact with the

1:39hot pan and encouraging the Maillard

1:41reaction, which is going to give us

1:43those rich, savory, brown flavors. Once

1:46that crust forms, break it into uniform

1:48crumbles. This will give you a

1:50consistent texture throughout the

1:51filling. Then, tilt the skillet and

1:53spoon out the excess rendered fat,

1:55[music] leaving about 1 to 2 tablespoons

1:57behind. And then, do it all again with

1:59the beef. To make everything [music]

2:00stick together, we need a thick sauce, a

2:03gravy. We're going to sprinkle some

2:05flour to help thicken the cooking

2:06liquid. Stir continuously for 1 to 2

2:08minutes to get rid of that raw flour

2:10taste, making sure every bit of meat is

2:13coated and no flour streaks remain. For

2:15our veggies, the famous [music]

2:17mirepoix, onions, carrots, and celery.

2:20Add the onions, [music] carrots, celery,

2:22and some garlic to the same pan and cook

2:24until slightly softened. We're keeping

2:26it all in the same vessel, so leftover

2:28fat and all those brown bits build even

2:30more flavor. And hey, less cleaning. To

2:34add flavor and deglaze the pan, we're

2:36adding tomato paste and wine to take

2:37away that raw metallic edge from the

2:39meat. Pour in the red wine and bring it

2:41to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits

2:43stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those

2:45bits are called fond, and they're

2:47concentrated flavor. Deglazing lifts

2:49them into the sauce, while the wine's

2:51acidity balances the richness of the

2:53meat. A dry, medium to full-bodied red

2:55wine, like a Merlot or a Cabernet

2:57Sauvignon, works perfectly. Let the wine

3:00reduce until [music] it's nearly

3:01evaporated. Remember, we want depth, not

3:04a watery filling. While the filling is

3:06reducing, we're going to bloom our

3:08gelatin. Gelatin gives the gravy that

3:10rich, velvety texture you get from

3:11collagen in a long-simmering bone broth,

3:13helping the filling hold together

3:15without feeling too heavy. Combine

3:17gelatin powder with chicken stock and

3:18set aside. This [music] allows it to

3:20absorb the liquid evenly, so it

3:22dissolves smoothly without lumps. Once

3:24the liquid has reduced, we're pouring in

3:26the bloomed gelatin, Worcestershire

3:28sauce, and herbs like thyme, sage, and

3:30bay leaf to give it a warm, cozy aroma.

3:33Bring everything to a simmer, then

3:35reduce the heat to low and cook

3:36uncovered for about 20 minutes to allow

3:38the water to evaporate. This will

3:40concentrate the flavor and thicken the

3:42gravy. [music]

3:42And that thickness matters. A loose

3:44filling can make your potato topping

3:46soggy. We're almost done with the

3:47filling. Remove the herb sprigs and

3:49[music] bay leaf, and add the last main

3:51ingredient of the pie, peas. We are

3:54using frozen sweet peas to make our

3:55lives a little easier. Fold in the peas

3:58and season with salt and pepper. Adding

3:59peas at the very end helps them stay

4:01bright, [music] sweet, and plump instead

4:03of turning mushy during the simmer. Just

4:04like that, we have a deep, savory, rich

4:07meat filling ready for its mashed potato

4:09topping. We want a creamy and fluffy,

4:11but sturdy enough potato mash to sit on

4:14top of the pie. We are using gold

4:16potatoes because [music] they have a

4:17naturally buttery flavor and creamy

4:19texture. Start by peeling and quartering

4:21your potatoes. Grab a pot and fill it

4:23with cold water and kosher salt before

4:26bringing it to a boil. Starting potatoes

4:28in cold water helps them cook evenly

4:30from the outside to the center. If you

4:32drop them directly into boiling water,

4:34the outside can become mushy before the

4:35center is tender. Once boiling, reduce

4:38the heat to medium and simmer until the

4:40potatoes can be easily pierced with a

4:41fork. Drain and set aside. And although

4:44we've been calling this a mash, do not

4:46mash the potatoes. For a smooth, fluffy

4:49texture, we recommend using a potato

4:51ricer.

4:52>> [music]

4:52>> Using a potato ricer prevents us from

4:54overworking them to avoid releasing

4:56excess starch, which can turn mashed

4:58potatoes sticky and gummy. [music]

4:59Ricing gives us that smooth texture and

5:02keeps the potatoes light. Although you

5:04could add the rest of the ingredients

5:05here, we're going to add an extra step

5:07that we promise is so worth it. Warming

5:10the dairy ingredients first creates a

5:12smooth, uniform mixture, allowing it to

5:14incorporate evenly into the potatoes

5:16without having to work through the cold

5:18butter or cream. Once the heavy cream

5:20begins to steam and the butter begins to

5:21melt, add the Parmesan cheese and stir

5:24gently until it's melted. Add the rice

5:26potatoes to the pot of the dairy mixture

5:28and stir gently until all the

5:29ingredients are completely incorporated

5:31and smooth. The key is to stir just

5:34until combined to avoid overworking the

5:35potatoes. Add kosher salt and white

5:38pepper instead of black to add a subtle

5:40peppery flavor while keeping the topping

5:42looking smooth and classic. The result,

5:44[music]

5:45fluffy, buttery Parmesan mashed potatoes

5:47that are creamy enough to spread,

5:49[music] but thick enough to hold their

5:50shape. Here's where everything comes

5:52together. Preheat your oven to 400°.

5:55Spread the meat filling into a 9 by

5:5713-in baking dish, then top with the

5:59mashed potatoes. But, don't smooth them

6:00flat. We want to create peaks and

6:02swishes. Those ridges will catch the

6:04heat of the oven, giving us golden brown

6:07crispy edges while the potatoes

6:09underneath stay creamy. And here's

6:11another little secret, more butter. Pour

6:13melted butter evenly over the top. This

6:16will help those peaks brown beautifully.

6:17Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top

6:20is golden and the filling is bubbling

6:21around the edges. Your [music] kitchen

6:23will smell amazing, and you're going to

6:25want to dig into it right away. But, you

6:27have to let it rest. [music] Resting the

6:29pie gives the juices time to thicken.

6:31So, when you scoop into it, you'll get a

6:33firm and hearty slice of shepherd's pie.

6:35There's something so comforting about a

6:37warm shepherd's pie with its rich,

6:39savory filling, creamy mashed potatoes,

6:41and golden, crisp peaks on top. [music]

6:44We hope this guide inspires you to make

6:46this classic dish and bring it to the

6:48table for the people you love. Because

6:49at the end of the day, good food, cozy

6:52meals, and sharing them with friends and

6:54family are what it's all about. Find the

6:56full recipe and a step-by-step guide on

6:58tasty.co.