A Kitchen and An Apprentice

Shepherd’s pie is such a great recipe to have in your toolkit.  I love it because it’s composed of ingredients that I almost always have on hand.  It’s a meal I can pull together even if I didn’t plan it for the week.  As much as I love and rely on meal planning, there are weeks where we’re between vacations or weekend adventures where meal planning doesn’t happen.  In these weeks, I rely on my pantry staples to put something on the table.  This is a recipe that does just that.  It requires little preparation and is one that most people would be happy eating.  Pair it with a glass of red wine and now it’s an adult meal.

Shepherd’s pie is technically made with ground lamb and cottage pie is made with ground beef.  I hesitate to call this cottage pie because most of us think of it as Shepherd’s pie.  But nonetheless, now you know.  This dish originated in Great Britain and Ireland in early 1800’s.  It became popular because it was simple, comforting, and a practical way to stretch ingredients.

Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

A classic recipe of humble ingredients that comforts and satisfies when the weather is a bit colder outside.

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Ingredients

POTATO TOPPING

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• 2 LBS russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 TBSP fresh chives or parsley, chopped for garnish

FILLING

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• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 LB ground beef (or ground lamb)
• 1 1/2 TSP salt
• 1/2 TSP freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups fresh vegetables (use what you have - I like fresh corn, carrots, and peas or green beans)

Instructions

First start the potatoes by placing the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (12-15 minutes). Drain and mash the potatoes in the same pot. Add the cream and the salt and mash until smooth. Then add the egg and parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400F and heat a large skilled over medium heat. Add the olive oil and ground beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until it's no longer pink. Add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes and then garlic and sauté for another minute.

Next add the flour and stir to combine. Then stir in the wine, deglazing the pan for a minute or two. Add the broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire. Stir to combine. Then add the vegetables along with more seasoning. Reduce heat, cover and cook until the sauce has slightly thickened and the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).

Transfer the meat to a pie dish or 11 x 7 casserole dish. Add the mash potatoes to the top by scooping a large spoonful at a time and covering the entire top with the spoonfuls. This makes it easier to spread the mashed potatoes atop the meat filling. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden. Top with chopped chives and serve!

Notes

Inspired by: Natasha's Kitchen

Minestrone soup.  Where to begin?  I have so much to say on minestrone and on soup alone.  I’m going to be doing a series on soup as the weather continues to cool.  For this reason, I’ll hold my thoughts on soup for later posts.

Back to minestrone.  Do you have a handful of recipes that you want to perfect?  Minestrone is on my short list.  In many ways, I feel like it’s the perfect soup.  It’s brothy, combining both tomato and chicken broth.  It typically has cannellini beans adding a creamy texture and filling ingredient.  It doesn’t have to be meatless – I typically add ground beef (or sausage) to my recipe.  It has vegetables and is best topped with Parmesan cheese and sourdough croutons.  I mean really, what more could you want in a soup?  It’s a meal.

I’m happy with the version of minestrone this recipe makes.  And yet, I feel like there is so much to learn.  I’ve heard people say that the measure of a chef is how well they can put together a soup.  There is a skill in soup making that I’d love to learn and to be honest, there aren’t many sources (at least that I’ve come across) that go deep into soup technique.  I’m not looking for recipes per say, but technique to pull together a soup that goes so far beyond the sum of the ingredients.  If ever given the opportunity to spend time with a professional chef, I’d ask about soup.  And in the meantime, as I come across minestrone recipes, I add them to the list of recipes to try.

Yield: 8 servings

Minestrone Soup

This is a classic minestrone recipe with a brothy tomato base, cannellini beans, ground meat, and vegetables. Be sure to top it with fresh croutons and Parmesan.

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Ingredients

Soup

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• 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28 ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes
• 1 quart hot water
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1-2 pieces of Parmesan rind
• 5 cups savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch of Italian (lacianto) Kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 can (19-ounce) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 lb ground beef or ground sausage, cooked and drained

Toppings

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• fresh croutons from a crusty loaf - oiled, salted, and cooked until a golden brown
• grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

First, cook the sofrito of onions, celery, and carrots in a large enamel coated Dutch oven or other large soup pot. Be sure to season well with salt and pepper. Start over medium heat and turn down to medium low, cooking and stirring occasionally for 45 minutes. Once the sofrito has cooked down, add the garlic and cook until fragrant - 1-2 minutes. Next, push the vegetables to the outer edge and add the tomato paste to the bottom center of the pan and stir until it turns a dark brick red. You can incorporate into the vegetables and cook the mixture until a deep red. After this, add the wine and stir to combine. Cook until the wine is mostly reduced. Then add the tomatoes, crushing the whole pieces, and then the water and the stock. You can also add the cheese rind.

Simmer this together for at least 30 minutes - it can go longer if you need to.

Just before you're ready to serve, add the cabbage, kale, beans, and ground meat. Cook until the beans are warmed through and the cabbage and kale are tender - only 5-10 minutes. Top with croutons and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Inspired by: Gourmet Special Edition: Comfort Winter 2016