Milly Fyfe's Shepherd's Pie

At this time of year, we have an abundance of fresh produce in our kitchen garden and our beef, sheep and arable farm. This recipe is a firm family favourite and includes home-grown lamb mince, onion, tomatoes and French beans. We pride ourselves on having a short supply chain from field to fork, eating with the seasons and using as much as the produce as we can. Enjoy having a go at replicating this recipe!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 675g lean lamb mince
  • 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 150g frozen chopped carrots
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 6 chopped fresh cherry tomatoes, or similar
  • 2 tablespoons of gluten-free plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary
  • 1 gluten-free vegetable stock cube, crumbled
  • 350ml hot vegetable stock (gluten free)

  • For the topping

  • 675g floury potatoes, unpeeled and cut into medium chunks
  • 450g parsnips, unpeeled and cut into small chunks
  • 100ml of milk
  • 50g salted butter
  • 50g grated Cheddar cheese

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the lamb mince, turning frequently and mashing any large lumps, then cook the diced onion until soft. Add in the frozen carrots and peas, followed by the tomatoes. 
  2. Stir in the flour, then add the ketchup, brown sauce, rosemary, stock cube and liquid stock. I use gluten free products as I am gluten intolerant but you can use the usual ingredients if you don’t have to be mindful of food intolerances. 
  3. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins. 
  4. As I cook on an Everhot, my oven is on all the time, set at 210c. Most fan ovens will need to be preheated to 190-200°c. 
  5. Meanwhile prepare the potato and parsnip topping. Place the chopped potatoes and parsnip into a large saucepan with boiling water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and mash together with milk and butter. 
  6. Spoon the meat filling into a 1.7L ovenproof pie dish and spread the mash on top of the mixture. Run a fork across the top of the mash, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Place on a baking tray (to avoid any juice bubbling over into the oven) and bake uncovered for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top. 
  7. Serve with cooked chopped French / runner beans and some gravy.