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Thermomix Recipes for TM5 and TM31 => Main Dishes => Topic started by: CarolineW on September 09, 2009, 02:55:13 pm

Title: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on September 09, 2009, 02:55:13 pm
Name of Recipe:  Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Number of People:  4
Ingredients:

1 bottle lager / bitter (doubt you'll need all of it, just enough to make sauce.  Will try to note specific quantities next time I make it)
Gravy granules (enough to thicken and richen.  I use Bisto powder)
ca 450g mince
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 pepper
sweetcorn (amount that looks good to you)
plus any other veggies you fancy, eg carrot, courgette, etc
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp branston pickle (or any chutney)
mixed herbs
1 tsp marmite
squirt of tomato pure (optional)
salt and lots of pepper

Topping:
Mashed potato made with butter, milk and lots of pepper (fairly stiff, not puree)

Preparation:

1.  Put onion, garlic, pepper and any other veg using into tm bowl and chop 1 sec / speed 7

2.  Add oil and cook 3 mins / 100oC / speed spoon

3.  Add meat and cook 10 mins / Varoma / spoon / reverse

4.  Add rest of ingredients (except for topping, of course  ;D ) and cook 20 mins / varoma / spoon / reverse until meat is tender and sauce reduced.

5.  Pour into oven proof dish.  

6.  Make TM mashed potato, but using less milk so stiffer mix, Dan's original didn't use any stock in the mash either.

7.  Scoop over the top of the meat sauce, and spread out evenly.  Use a fork to finish off, so that the top is textured.  Dot with butter.

8.  Bake 30 mins until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.  Pre-heat oven to 180oC / 350oF / gas 4.  Aga ovens:  roasting oven 20-25 mins.

Photos:

Tips/Hints:  My brother in law, Dan, made this for us when we were visiting him a couple of months ago (not with a thermomix, though - I've converted it with the help of the Fast and Easy book).  I was still in my first trimester of pregnancy then, and hardly able to eat anything.  Amazingly, I loved this, and ate loads!  I may therefore have a skewed impression of how fantastic this recipe was, but certainly it left me with the impression that it was the best shepherd's pie I'd ever eaten.  I plan to make it soon.

members' comments

Caroline J - It was delicious! Tip- if using frozen peas and corn, add them once the meat is cooked, otherwise they go a bit mush...
Kids loved it, thanks! 5/5  This is a favourite in our house and a great one to hide vegies in for the kids.

theweewelshone - Another thumbs up here. It used the last of my Branston Pickle so I will have to remember to buy some more - I poured some hot water in the jar to get it all out. I did have to use Vegemite instead of Marmite as I didn't have any and couldn't even find my Promite. I made mine without beer - the branston pickle 'juice' was used instead for liquid. I took the MC off for the 20 mins cooking section and the sauce reduced nicely. I used 1 cup of frozen corn/peas/carrots and some diced mushrooms in mine.

Bubbles - I ran out of time when making this, so instead of making the mashed potato, I simply layered puff pastry on top of the mince mixture and browned it off in the oven. Very nice, enjoyed by the whole family and lots and lots of veggies smuggled in at the beginning too! Thanks.


Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Thermomixer on September 09, 2009, 03:07:42 pm
Thanks Caroline - I thought that maybe you drink the bottle of lager while preparing the meal - but maybe it goes in the "rest of the ingredients" part?  Oh, bugger - thinking Dan was a man after my own heart.

Went to an British dinner last night with Toad-in-the-hole, scotch eggs, steak and oyster pud - this would have fitted in well.  :-*
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CreamPuff63 on September 09, 2009, 03:51:34 pm
Thanks for the recipe Caroline. I will give this a try - and BTW what is Branston Pickle? Have gathered from previous posts that ca before a recipe means "approximate"
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: baf65 on September 09, 2009, 04:12:00 pm
Branston pickle is a sort of chutney....its lovely on a bacon buttie!!  and you can get it in coles!
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CreamPuff63 on September 10, 2009, 10:58:27 am
Thanks B65, I'll have a look for it in Coles and might also try the local British shop.

I Googled this: Branston pickle is a form of pickled relish which is extremely popular in Southern England. It contains an assortment of mixed pickled vegetables, blended with various spices in a thick brown sauce, leading many people to confuse it with chutney. In Britain, Branston pickle is readily available at most markets; outside of England, this specialty condiment is stocked by some importers and large markets, and it can also be ordered through companies which specialize in food imports.

Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: judydawn on September 10, 2009, 02:07:02 pm
Don't think you will have any trouble getting it CP63 - even Foodland sell it.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 06, 2009, 02:54:14 pm
When I went to make this the other week I discovered that we didn't have any Branston pickle left - apparently DH doesn't bother eating it any more, as he prefers mine (thanks, Thermie!  :) ).  So I popped some green tomato and pear chutney in instead.  It tasted even better than with the Branston.  So I wouldn't worry about finding the Branston especially for this recipe, CP63.  Any chutney seems to do the job   :)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 06, 2009, 02:57:04 pm
Thanks Caroline - I thought that maybe you drink the bottle of lager while preparing the meal - but maybe it goes in the "rest of the ingredients" part?  Oh, bugger - thinking Dan was a man after my own heart.


LOL.  Well, you wouldn't want to waste the bit you don't use now, would you?!  You only add enough from the bottle to add some liquid to the sauce, and most bottles are bigger than that.  Got to admit that my version uses bitter, as we don't really drink lager in this house.  Tastes every bit as excellent.  And the chef appreciates it more  ;D
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Katya on October 06, 2009, 04:04:52 pm
I would have thought bitter or stout would give it more flavour than lager anyway  ;)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 06, 2009, 05:51:49 pm
I've modified the recipe now to take into account / warn about my approximates.  I'm not a very precise cook - sorry.  I just throw in what's to hand, and what looks right.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Thermomixer on October 07, 2009, 12:47:27 am
Sounds like me CarolineW - sometimes worry when I think some poor sod is going to have to try and replicate this mess.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 07, 2009, 08:50:17 pm
Sounds like me CarolineW - sometimes worry when I think some poor sod is going to have to try and replicate this mess.

 :D :D
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Caroline J on March 14, 2010, 11:39:27 am
I made this tonight :)  It was delicious! 

Tip- if using frozen peas and corn, add them once the meat is cooked, otherwise they go a bit mush...

Kids loved it, thanks!

5/5
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: theweewelshone on June 12, 2010, 02:17:45 pm
Another thumbs up here. It used the last of my Branston Pickle so I will have to remember to buy some more - I poured some hot water in the jar to get it all out :). I did have to use Vegemite instead of Marmite as I didn't have any and couldn't even find my Promite.
I made mine without beer - the branston pickle 'juice' was used instead for liquid.
I took the MC off for the 20mins cooking section and the sauce reduced nicely.
I used 1 cup of frozen corn/peas/carrots and some diced mushrooms in mine.

Myf
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: meganjane on June 13, 2010, 06:26:13 am
Welcome Myf!

I found a recipe for Branston Pickle that I'm planning to convert to the TMX on this (http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/The-Almost-Original-Branston-Pickle-Recipe-246675?scaleto=4&sys=e) website.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on June 25, 2010, 03:41:24 pm
That sounds good, meganjane.  Although this recipe tastes great with any chutney - even the weird and wonderful ones  ;D (and believe me, I make some weird and wonderful ones!)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: judydawn on June 26, 2010, 02:09:43 am
Farfallina, here's another recipe you could try to use some more of your chutney  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: I Love Bimby! on June 26, 2010, 08:28:18 am
Grandad (a pom) introduced us to Branston Pickles at a young age usually with a good strong cheddar and crackers  ;D
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: cookie1 on June 27, 2010, 05:32:25 am
Yummy!
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Thermomixer on June 28, 2010, 08:00:35 am
Grandad (a pom) introduced us to Branston Pickles at a young age usually with a good strong cheddar and crackers  ;D

Yum, always a good combo - like in ploughman's lunch.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Caroline J on July 07, 2010, 11:19:14 am
Just to say this is a favourite in our house, and a great one to hide vegies in for the kids :D
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Bubbles on August 15, 2012, 10:53:13 am
I ran out of time when making this, so instead of making the mashed potato, I simply layered puff pastry on top of the mince mixture and browned it off in the oven. Very nice, enjoyed by the whole family, and lots and lots of veggies smuggled in at the beginning too! Thanks  :)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 30, 2015, 12:12:08 pm
I was searching all over for this and couldn't find it. I should have born in mind when searching that I'm obsessive about possessive apostrophes when I'm not on the iPad LOL.

I'm going to make a double batch in the slow cooker using tmx to grate veggies, then experiment with different toppings when I split it into pies. I thought I'd do one with sweet potato, and one with carrot and swede mash. I'll let you know what they're like - or whether it's better to stick with the traditional potato.

UPDATE:  all the variations were very nice, but our favourite is the usual potato
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Cornish Cream on October 30, 2015, 01:03:06 pm
We'll look forward to your report on the different toppings Caroline.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: cookie1 on October 31, 2015, 06:50:59 am
Lovely to hear from you CarolineW. I hope all is well with you.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on October 31, 2015, 08:33:07 am
We're all doing very well, thanks Cookie. But very busy!  I didn't realise how long it was since I'd visited you all until I logged on yesterday. I like the new look of the forum, by the way - but it probably hasn't been 'new' for a long time  ;D
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: EmeraldSue on May 18, 2016, 12:33:01 pm
I made this for dinner tonight. I didn't have any gravy granules (and don't really know what they are) so I used cornflour instead. My family really liked this and Ll went back for seconds. Personally, I found it a little sweet, but once I'd smothered it in chilli sauce,  I enjoyed it too

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160518/a1ce19d24edcaff8a0f892c01de43ffe.jpg)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: judydawn on May 18, 2016, 03:22:08 pm
It looks great Sue, I wonder what makes it sweet.  Must try this one out sometime this coming winter.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: CarolineW on May 18, 2016, 04:56:31 pm
I made this for dinner tonight. I didn't have any gravy granules (and don't really know what they are) so I used cornflour instead. My family really liked this and Ll went back for seconds. Personally, I found it a little sweet, but once I'd smothered it in chilli sauce,  I enjoyed it too

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160518/a1ce19d24edcaff8a0f892c01de43ffe.jpg)

It's never seemed sweet to me - perhaps it's a different personal taste thing, or a different type of chutney. But I'm wondering as I type this whether I've typoed too large an amount of chutney in the recipe???  I'll go and double check now!

UPDATE:  no, the quantities look ok.  I use a level tablespoon when I make it. Must be a personal taste or type of chutney thing. I'm always using a very savoury chutney.
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: Cornish Cream on May 18, 2016, 05:40:10 pm
Good looking Shephers Pie ES 8)
Title: Re: Dan's Shepherd's Pie
Post by: EmeraldSue on May 19, 2016, 10:36:24 am
It was probably my (lack of) accuracy in measuring the chutney. I opened a new jar of chutney which I haven't yet tasted as I didn't have any of the pickle. I also added extra veggies and sprinkled some Parmesan on the mashed potato.
My family loved it and would like me to make it again