Lamb Shepherd's Pie with Ale
Topped with a Potato Celery Root Purée and Goat Gouda
This version of a traditional English Shepherd’s Pie, plays with the history of the dish. Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb and potatoes’, yet adding celery root to the potatoes adds a complex flavor to offset the richness of the lamb. To further add an extra dimension of flavor, Goat Gouda cheese has a slight tang and creamy texture different than cheddar. Beef may be substituted instead of the lamb, renaming this dish to a Cottage Pie.
Ingredients:
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StickUnsalted Butter, 4 ounces
StickUnsalted Butter, 4 ounces2TBSPOlive Oil
TBSPOlive Oil2Each Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped
Each Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped3Each Carrots, peeled and chopped
Each Carrots, peeled and chopped2Each Celery Ribs, chopped
Each Celery Ribs, chopped1Each Leek, white and green part only, sliced
Each Leek, white and green part only, sliced2Pounds Ground Lamb, Beef, Turkey or Chicken
Pounds Ground Lamb, Beef, Turkey or Chicken Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper4Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped2TBSP Italian Leaf Parsley, preferably fresh, chopped fine
TBSP Italian Leaf Parsley, preferably fresh, chopped fine1TBSP Rosemary, preferably fresh, chopped fine
TBSP Rosemary, preferably fresh, chopped fine2 Cup Chicken Stock
Cup Chicken Stock2Cups Goat Gouda, grated or your favorite cheddar
Cups Goat Gouda, grated or your favorite cheddar Sea Salt and Cracked Black PepperDirections:
Preheat oven to 350°
In a large dutch oven or sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add onions, carrots, celery and leeks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables become translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl, reserving as much of the butter/oil in the pan as possible. Add half of the ground lamb (or meat) in to the pan and brown evenly (1), until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6-7 minutes. Repeat with remaining meat. By not adding all the meat at the same time, the meat isn’t overcrowded in the pan, causing the meat to brown rather than steam. Add the garlic, parsley and rosemary to the meat (2)as it finishes browning and cook for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Double Barrel Ale (3), using a wooden spoon to scrape off any brown bits stuck to the pan and reduce by half. Add the reserved vegetables and first batch of meat back into the pan, topping off with chicken stock (4). Bring to a boil and reduce till the level of the liquid is equal with the meat and vegetables; season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture into a 9X13 pan, spreading out evenly in one layer (5). Add the Potato Celery Root Purée to the top of the meat mixture (6). A tip to help evenly distribute the topping is to spoon the mixture over the meat first (7), then using a spatula (8), spread to level (9). Add the grated Goat Gouda (10) and season with salt and pepper (11).Place the shepherds Pie in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese has melted and starting to turn a nice golden brown color and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, to thicken the sauce slightly. Serve family style or individually, garnishing with Italian leaf parsley.* Firestone Walker is the only American brewery I know of using the Union Oak Barrel Brewing System. Their Double Barrel Ale has a wonderful oak character that adds a depth of flavor to this English Bitter, not found in many oak aged ales, as they ferment in the barrel. This oak accentuates the Lambs richness and the sweetness of the carrots and leeks. Matt Brynildson’s attention to the balance of spicy hops and English malt, creates a great drinking and cooking brew that has won several medals. I would recommend pairing the Shepherd’s Pie with this beer as well.
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