Spiced-Lamb and Potato Pie
Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner everyone is seeing green. Shamrocks and leprechauns are in every store window. Corned beef, Guinness and Irish Whiskey are in all the stores and kids everywhere are working hard on their leprechaun traps.
While corned beef and Guinness are obvious choices during the green holiday, I prefer a nice, rich shepherd’s pie. There’s nothing more comforting and hearty than mashed potatoes, ground beef and peas on a chilly winter’s evening. But what if you don’t like white mashed potatoes? I admit, I’m not a fan. Use yams though and I’m all in. I just love a good sweet potato. So, when I make shepherd’s pie, I use yams. I know it’s not traditional, but you still get a rich, delicious dinner.
That takes care of the potatoes, but what if you don’t like beef either? What if you prefer lamb or bison or chicken? They all come ground, but can you still really call it a shepherd’s pie if you no longer have ground beef or white mashed potatoes? Of course you can, because it’s still a meat pie that’s covered with a potato topping. It’s still rich and filling and a great meal any long winter’s night.
I know the traditional Shepherd’s pie is a standard St. Patrick’s Day meal but when have you ever known me to go traditional? Sure, I post classic recipes here all the time, but they usually have a twist of some sort. Maybe I’ll use sweet potatoes where white usually go, or maybe I’ll substitute sunflower seeds when nuts are called for. Well, as I mentioned above this shepherd’s pie is anything but traditional: it doesn’t use ground beef or mashed potatoes. Instead Carla Hall uses ground lamb (a personal favorite of mine), sliced potatoes, mint and feta. The resulting dish is full of flavor. Yes, it may not be the classic shepherd’s pie we all know and love, but it’s just as rich and filling, making it the perfect choice for the green holiday on Sunday.
Notes
Adapted from Carla Hall
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound yellow Dutch potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, the chopped mint and the oregano and cook, for another minute.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat.
- Spread the meat mixture in the skillet in an even layer and arrange the potatoes on top, overlapping the slices. Top with the feta.
- Bake the pie for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the meat is bubbling. Let cool slightly for 5 minutes and serve.
