There are some dishes that have no boundaries and are enjoyed by people who live thousands of miles from the place the recipe originated. Take Shepherd’s Pie for example. This classic European dish is also adored by Americans. Shepherd’s Pie is a rustic meat and potatoes dish. The flavors are wonderful, but that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t raise the bar a little bit. In this article, I’ll teach you how to make Shepherd’s Pie into a gourmet meal.
The first step to making gourmet Shepherd’s Pie is to choose the meat you’re going use. While lamb is traditional, there are more gourmet choices you could make. For example, you could finely dice beef tenderloin. Not only would this add great flavor, but the texture would be very tender as well. Of course, if you want a gourmet flavor that is also rich in taste, why not finely dice a ribeye steak? If you prefer ground meat in your Shepherd’s Pie, you could ask your butcher to grind these meats as well.
Next, you need to choose the vegetables for your gourmet Shepherd’s Pie. Personally, I would visit my local farmer’s market and buy some peas, corn, and mushrooms. Look for mushrooms that are more flavorful that button mushrooms. For example, look for gourmet types such as cremini, Portobello, or even shiitake mushrooms. Then all you have to do is clean the mushrooms, shell the peas, and cut the corn from the cob. The mushrooms will require a bit of sautéing, but the peas and corn can go into the Shepherd’s Pie fresh because they require very little cooking.
Now it’s time to start thinking about the gravy for your gourmet Shepherd’s Pie. Personally, I suggest making gravy from scratch using butter, flour, beef broth, fresh cracked pepper, and fresh herbs. If you want your gravy to be truly gourmet, go to the trouble to also make the beef broth from scratch as well. The herbs you choose will depend on your palate. But, if you plan on adding gourmet mushrooms to you Shepherd’s Pie, you can’t go wrong with thyme or rosemary.
Last, but not least, you need to prepare the mashed potatoes for your gourmet Shepherd’s Pie. While many recipes simply suggest that you add butter and cream to your mashed potatoes, I suggest taking things a bit further. Why not add roasted garlic and blue cheese to the mashed potatoes and make them gourmet as well? Also don’t to add sea salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper.
As you can see, a rustic dish like Shepherd’s Pie can be gourmet. You just need to choose higher quality ingredients for your Shepherd’s Pie.
