shepherds pie, two ways { part one }

It’s still rainy here in Northern California and I’m appreciative, because we desperately need it.  Yay for snow pack and more water!  To keep from getting the winter doldrums, I suggest curling up by the fire with a good book, or playing a game you don’t usually play (for us it’s chess) and eating comfort food that fits the weather.  Winter is the perfect time for Shepherd’s Pie.  It’s rather a favorite around here, I’d say I make it maybe 10 times a year and for us that’s a lot for one dish.

I discovered an Elle Decor recipe (odd to find a recipe in a home design mag, I agree) which was a very fancy version of Shepherd’s Pie, melded with Beef Bourguignon for the pie’s filling.  I’ve made this exactly three times as a fancy “company worthy” dish, and it’s very rich and luxurious, while still giving nod to its humble roots.  Today (part one) I’ll share this hoity-toity version with you and then tomorrow look for the fun, easy and down-home every day version we love.

Shall we cook?

You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time, this one is a long one to make… but of course, that’s perfect for our rainy/snowy day!

First, sear in a hot pan:

…the nicest cut of beef you feel comfortable to use, cut into 1″ chunks.  I’ve used the rib-eye the recipe calls for once, but the other times I didn’t (I used beef chuck, the classic bourguignon meat) and I didn’t notice that big of a difference. Don’t forget to marinate it in wine ahead of time as the recipe says. Big flavor difference.

Drain it:

And in the meantime, chop your vegetables into one inch pieces:

Oh, and please note the parsnip.  I’ve made it with and without.  To be completely honest, before this recipe, I’m ashamed to say, I hadn’t worked with parsnip, well, really, ever.  But I’ve since discovered it’s an excellent and toothy root vegetable and should not be left out if you can help it. In honor of my newfound parsnip admiration, here’s another series of photos:

They have loads of personality and also produce a nice starch in the dish.

Want to see one of my favorite things to use when I’m chopping many, many things?

It’s a garbage bowl.  Really, it’s any bowl you have on hand (in my case it was the bowl that had held the meat) and you set it on the counter top and throw any and all scraps of trash in it as you work. SO much more convenient than hustling over to the trashcan every second, or clogging up your sink!  This idea came from Rachel Ray (whom I don’t normally follow too much), but like her fresh herb storage method, it’s revolutionized my life.

But I digress.  We were going to be sauteeing our vegetables, then adding a bit of tomato paste:

…and then add the meat back in and sprinkle some flour on top. For those of you with any gluten issues: I have made beef bourguignon with sweet rice flour substituted for wheat flour, and it works perfectly.

Next we add our liquids, the first of which is a reduced wine:

…the second is beef broth.  The wine I reduced by letting it simmer slowly in a small pot until it seemed to be about half.  It makes a lovely, rich velvety red color in the pot!  I should note here that the recipe calls for using a very nice bottle in the bourguignon.  I’m not THAT fancy, so I’ve always used a nice $5-7 burgundy for the dish, and served it with a $10-12 one to drink (because remember it’s company).  No $160 bottles going into stew here!

Next, make up a bouquet garni, which is just a fancy way to say bunch of fresh herbs:

Fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay and whole peppercorns.  I tied it up in a piece of cheesecloth I had, and it was not particularly pretty or gourmet looking, but it did the job.  In fact, I think it looks kind of like a dead mummy:

This is where Matt will chime in and say that dead mummy is a redundant phrase.  Thanks, honey.

Plop it in there, turn it all down, cover and let it simmer for a looong time. And meanwhile, prepare your potatoes:

They get boiled and then mixed with cream and ridiculously fattening other things (see the recipe for details). So good!

Once it’s all properly cooked, pile your stew into a dish:

Add your creamy potatoes:

And then raise the top with fork slash marks so that you get crispy edges.  Put it in the oven, and soon it will come out looking like this:

Well, no, not really.  Not unless you’re a superb food stylist (image courtesy of Elle Decor).  Mine actually did crisp very prettily on top, but I didn’t get to take any photos because by then the company had arrived, and photographing your food when company is there, well, let’s just say I’m weird and artsy enough already.  No, we just ate it! We did pair it with crusty bread and a green herb salad.  Yum!

Tomorrow, I’ll bring you the super easy, super cheap, warm-your-whole-body-down-to-your-fuzzy-slippers version. It’s just as good and delicious as this one, but in a different manner.

Happy eating!