Shepherd's Pie

This is Ivy Manning's version of Shepherd's Pie. My husband liked it, but my son didn't.

This easy recipe is just the thing for blustery winter weather when a casserole and a pint of Guinness stout is in order. Everything is better when it is topped with home-made mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese, but if you don't have time to make your own, you can use good-quality boxed mashed potatoes to top the stew instead. You will need two 4-oz packages.

Topping:
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (1-1/2 lbs), peeled and quartered
2 teaspoons salt, plus additional
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper

Stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leave of 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2-1/2 cups mushroom stock
Salt and pepper

Assembly:
3 oz soy crumbles (I use Yves Meatless Ground crumbles)
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Put the potatoes in a 4-quart saucepan; add 2 teaspoons of the salt and cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain; return to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher until almost smooth. Add the milk, butter, nutmeg and cayenne and mash until completely smooth. Season with the salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms; saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, stir until it has been absorbed, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, thyme, sherry, and stock; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the stew is thick and bubbly; about 15 minutes.
3. VEGETARIAN: Put the soy crumbles in a 1-1/2 cup baking dish, stir in 2/3 cup of the vegetable stew, spoon mashed potatoes on top in a 1-inch thick layer, and set aside.
4. Pour the remaining stew into a 2-quart baking dish. Wipe out the saute pan and return it to medium heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break it up, until it is browned and cooked through. Drain off the fat and stir the lamb into the larger baking dish. Top with the remaining mashed potatoes.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over both dishes, place them on a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, and bake until the stews are bubbly, about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in places, about 2 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving; the pies will be atomic-hot.

Vegan variation: Replace the butter and milk in the mashed potatoes with vegan margarine and unsweetened soy milk. Omit the cheese on the vegetarian pie.

Serves 1-2 vegetarians and 4 omnivores