Shepherd's pie

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍖 500g lamb, ground or patty
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🥕 2 medium carrots
• 🪴 100g frozen peas
• 🥫 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 🌾 1 Tbsp flour
• 🥩 1 cube beef stock cube
• 🥤 300ml tap water
• 🥔 1,000g potato
• 🧈 2 Tbsp butter
• 🥛 100ml milk, whole
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🌿 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan 180 °C).
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ground lamb thoroughly, breaking it up, then drain excess fat if needed. Add the chopped onion and diced carrots; cook for 6–8 minutes until the vegetables soften.
3. Stir in the flour and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Add the crumbled stock cube and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes until the gravy is rich and slightly thickened. Stir in the peas for the last 5 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into even chunks. Boil in salted water until completely tender (15–20 minutes). Drain well, then mash with the butter, milk and salt until smooth and fluffy.
5. Spoon the lamb mixture into a baking dish. Spread the mash evenly over the top, roughing the surface with a fork so it crisps, and scatter over the leaves stripped from 3 of the thyme sprigs.
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, and finish with the last thyme sprig, torn, before serving.