Shepherd’s Pie for a Proper Family Feast

Ingredients: 750 g potatoes, cut into chunks * 100 g butter * 3 tbsp milk * 1 tbsp sunflower oil* 500 g lamb mince * 125 ml white wine *1 large onion, chopped * 2–3 medium carrots, chopped * 1 cup frozen peas * 2 tbsp tomato purée * large splash of Worcestershire sauce * 1–2 cups lamb stock * 1–2 egg yolks * 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried * salt * black pepper

This is a British classic. I used to take all my foreign friends to a restaurant where I knew they were using high quality lamb to make it a perfect dish.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and drop in the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are tender. Drain and then add the butter and milk. Mash the potatoes until all lumps are removed, cover with a lid and set aside. Heat the oil in a pot, crumble in the lamb, and nicely

Drain to remove any and then return to the pot. Place the pot over a medium heat and add the white wine. Heat until reduced by half, then add the onion, carrots and peas, and cook for a few minutes until they are softened but retain their crunch. Add the stock, cover with a lid and bring to a sim- mer. Then cook for 30 minutes,

Add more stock if the pie mix is a little dry. Season with the salt, pepper and thyme and stir in the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce.

to 200 °C. Mix in 1–2 egg yolks to the mash if you prefer the topping to have a finish. Put the mince into an top with the mash and ruffle with a fork.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling.

for 5 minutes before serving. glossy