The Ivy’s Shepherd’s pie

by

One of the most striking things about The Ivy is its all-encompassing menu, providing succour for all tastes. Influences are drawn from childhood, international cuisine and great British staples and the Shepherd’s Pie is famous. Indeed, thousands of Ivy Shepherd’s Pies have passed the lips of thespians and others down the decades. Nursery food par excellence, The Ivy’s version uses minced lamb and beef, making it a hybrid of shepherd’s and cottage pies. The ingredients render it rich and deeply satisfying.

Serves: 6

What You’ll Need:

  • 200 g (7 oz) lean rib of beef, minced (ground)
  • 200 g (7 oz) lean lamb, minced (ground)
  • 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 100 g (3½ oz) button mushrooms, brushed off and finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 200 g (7 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
  • 100 ml (½ cup) red wine
  • 1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 300 ml (1¼ cups) veal stock (if not available, use beef or chicken stock)
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped
  • sunflower oil, for frying
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

For the topping:

  • 1 kg (2 lb) King Edward, Maris
  • Piper or russet potatoes
  • 50 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
  • salt and white pepper, to season

What To Do:

  • Lightly oil both the lamb and beef. Heat a frying pan until smoking and cook the mince, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the meat is a light brown colour.
  • Pour off the excess liquid and transfer to a dish until the rest of the ingredients are ready.
  • In the same pan, heat a little oil and gently sweat the shallots, mushrooms, carrots and thyme for about 8 minutes.
  • Add the mince and tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and red wine and reduce for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Season, add more Worcestershire sauce if required, and then add the oregano. Stir, remove from the heat and keep to one side.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  • For the topping, peel and cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces. Cook in boiling salted water for around 15 minutes until soft. Drain and return to the pan over a gentle heat to remove any excess moisture. Using a potato masher or ricer, thoroughly mash the potatoes, mix with butter and season to taste.
  • Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish, or divide equally between 6 individual dishes. Top with the mashed potato (you can pipe this if you like) and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. It should turn a nice golden colour.
  • At The Ivy, we serve the pie with buttered peas and carrots.

These recipes feature in London: The Cookbook by Cara Frost-Sharratt, published by Frances Lincoln, an imprint of The Quarto Group.

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