Moroccan Style Shepherds Pie: A tasty twist to a classic dish
Shepherds Pie! It's one of my favourite dishes to make when I'm feeling the need for something hearty, filling and rustic. I've made this dish with an array of different ingredients and flavors: from the traditional to the exotic. One of my very favourite ways to make it is with a Moroccan twist. Substitute ground lamb for the ground beef, a healthy sprinkling of raisins into the mince mixture and add pureed chickpeas to the potato mash, and that's it. It's a dish that is easy to pull off any night of the week and sophisticated enough to serve to friends. Finishing touches? Fresh coarsely chopped parsley and mint, and a big glass of your favourite red!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup raisins or sultanas
1 pound ground lamb (if you want less of a gamey flavour you can substitute half with another ground meat or swap out altogether for beef)
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can chickpeas rinsed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
Kosher salt to taste
Small bunch of parsley coarsely chopped Small bunch of mint coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onion, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste. Simmer until the juices thicken, about 10 minutes, then add the raisins/sultanas to slowly simmer along with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside.
5. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.
6. Add the chickpeas to the pot and mash with the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt.
7. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork.
8. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
recipe modified from Epicurious recipe for Shepherd's pie here
parting words of wisdom:
Simple dishes don't have to mean bland or boring. Simply prepared and richly flavoured dishes are some of the best meals to gather around the table with friends and family. Classic dishes are timeless for a reason and sometimes just changing up ingredients can give them a whole new life. Lesson of the day: don't throw out those classic recipes from your grandmother, borrow ideas from other cultures and throw in some different spices and you might just have a new 'Classic'!
Over at Autumn Wood Stylist HQ our windows are open, catching some of that crisp fall air, we are working on a yummy batch of oatmeal cookies and getting totally inspired by the newest edition of Domino! (Our favourite magazine!)