Jo Saffords Leg Of Lamb And Shepherds Pie Carrie Sheridan Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the garlic, bay leaf, carrot, celery, onion and oil in a medium skillet and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Push the vegetables to the perimeter of the pan and add the lamb. Increase the heat to high and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Sprinkle with the mustard, 1 teaspoon of the salt and some pepper. Stir until fragrant, 1 minute, then add the tomato paste, fennel seeds and tomato puree and stir again. Cook for 1 minute more. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint and sage. Remove the bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover by 2 inches with salted water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until a knife releases easily from the potatoes when pierced in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the potatoes. In the same pot, combine the milk, butter, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water and stir together over high heat. Bring to a boil. Mash the potatoes with a masher, then slowly drizzle the hot liquid over the potatoes and stir until light and fluffy. Taste and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon the lamb mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, covering completely. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to create a swirled pattern in the potatoes. Bake until the topping turns golden in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut slits into leg of lamb and insert slivers of garlic [to taste -- you can also add whole unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan, once some drippings have formed in the pan].
• Coat leg of lamb with oil.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper and fines herbes, patting these into the oil.
• Bake 25 minutes per lb for rare, or longer for medium.
• Remove and let sit for 20 minutes before serving --.
• Remove excess fat from pan and make gravy with water and cornstarch (which has been dissolved in cold water and THEN added) to thicken.
• For shepherd's pie leftovers: Trim meat off bone after dinner; cut into 1-2 inch cubes; grind in a food processor or blender; add chopped onion to taste; add enough gravy to bind and moisten [can use Knorr beef gravy mix in a packet or better than bouillon beef base].
• Steam 1 potato per 1 cup of ground meat; mash with some milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste; put 1/3 of potato mixture into ground meat; pat into a casserole and top with remaining mashed potatoes; sprinkle with paprika and bake at 375°F until it's bubbling (about 30 minutes).

Steps:

• See separate recipe for Marta Sgubin's Mashed Potatoes --
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine the lamb, garlic, onion and rosemary and put them through a meat grinder twice. If you don't have a meat grinder, don't use a food processor because that doesn't give the right texture. Use a knife to chop [or shred] the ingredients very fine, the way you would if you were making hash.
• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and stir in the flour.
• Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook for 5 minutes or until completely blended. Slowly add the beef stock, stirring as you add, and cook until thickened - about 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped lamb mixture and stir to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon this meat mixture into a 2-quart oval ovenproof casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top. They should be as even as possible and touch the rim of the dish so that non of the meat mixture shows.
• Use a fork to rake a design along the top, drawing the tines over the sirface from one end to the other the long way. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling hot and the potatoes are lightly browned.

Steps:

• Place potatoes in large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and place pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain.
• Return potatoes to the hot pan and set over the same burner. Add milk and 2 tablespoons butter; allow butter to melt from the residual heat. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in Cheddar cheese, sour cream, egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
• Heat olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring constantly, until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add lamb and beef and cook, crumbling with a spoon and stirring often until browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle meat mixture with flour, remaining salt and pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
• Add beef stock, tomato paste, and Worcestershire; cook, scraping any flavorful bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until thickened and vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in peas. Transfer mixture to the prepared casserole dish and top with the prepared mashed potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.