LIFE

Shepherd’s pie recipe: A comfort food staple

Sherry Lucas

The Clarion-Ledger

The fluffy potato mash that’s a crowning glory of this particular serving of shepherd’s pie is flecked by shreds of Parmesan. That piggybacks a salty, cheesy edge to the meaty aroma riding up on the steam.

It might be 94 degrees of blazing daylight outside, but never mind that in the cool, dark cave of Fenian’s Pub upstairs. Shepherd’s pie just arrived at the table, and there’s a cold tap nearby if additional refreshment is required.

“It pairs beautifully with Guinness,” Fenian’s Pub general manager Reiss doesn’t have to tell me.

Shepherd’s pie an Irish staple there, and will be one, too, at this weekend’s CelticFest Mississippi at Jackson’s Ag & Forestry Museum.

“I don’t think I’d even be allowed to even be at CelticFest if I’m not representing something like a shepherd’s pie,” Reiss said. “Shepherd’s pie and corned beef. As long as I can get those two there, I’m good to go.”

At Fenian’s, it’s made from the old family recipe from the owners from Ireland, originally Danny Cupit and more recently his son, Sean Cupit. That recipe is a trade secret, Reiss said. But it’s a filling dish of ground beef, peas and carrots and onions, mashed potatoes and those Parmesan shreds.

Shepherd’s pie meat-and-potatoes profile ensures a broad appeal.

No real surprise it’s one of the pub’s most popular Irish items. “Shepherd’s pie is just a staple. When you think of Irish food, you think of meat and potatoes, and that’s exactly what shepherd’s pie is — it’s meat with potatoes on top.”

It’s comfort food, to the point that Reiss even calls it “our version of chicken and dumplings.” Craved in cold weather; yummy with the A/C on, too.

The Food Timeline website dates shepherd’s pie to the 18th century when the new world potato finally appealed to the British palate. The meat was usually lamb, with the beef version called a cottage pie.

Here, it’s just shepherd’s pie, and likely considered fancy if made with ground lamb rather than beef.

And although not many of us have the livestock to back up the name, our own peeps are known to flock to it.

Lynn Gibbs’ is just that — a quick and easy version that can be made from stock ingredients and appeals to growing children and hungry men. She shared her recipe, with suggestions for personal preferences, such as onions or Worcestershire. “I’ve heard tell that some people pipe the potatoes on in peaks, but that didn’t fit into our soccer schedule.

“I raised four children and they were always hungry and there was always a rush to get dinner on the table,” said Gibbs of Brandon. “This was so quick and easy to fix. It has has all the four food groups in it, and anybody can throw it together and stick it in the oven and pretty much eat in under an hour, if that.” Most folks have the ingredients in their freezer or pantry. “You can just walk in and go, ‘Hmm. It’s chilly outside. I think I’ll make a shepherd’s pie.’ ”

For Samantha King of Pearl, shepherd’s pie is also an easy go-to. She and her husband have seven children between them, plus their spouses and significant others. And she’s not a measurer. So here’s how she proceeds: Fry enough ground turkey (or beef, you can use either) to fill one, two or sometimes three 9-by-13 pans, depending on the occasion (and the crowd count). On top of that, sprinkle one to two packets of Ranch mix (“totally a guesstimate”), sometimes peas on top and sometimes not, and the next layer is homemade mashed potatoes.

“The key to it is the homemade mashed potatoes.” On top of that goes more Ranch powder. She then layers the whole top with thin slices of Velveeta cheese. Cover that with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees 30 to 45 minutes, “but really until it looks right and the cheese starts to bubble.” Remove the foil about 20 minutes in, so you can see. Sometimes she adds onions or even onion powder with the Ranch mix. It’s adaptable. It freezes well, too, before final cooking. Just pull out later, thaw and pop in the oven. She had shepherd’s pie growing up, and traced this to her grandmother, and probably hers before that.

And just like a shepherd, when it comes to tending the flock, it helps to have a hook.

Shepherd’s pie

1 pound ground meat (turkey or deer fine)

1 package brown gravy mix

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 package instant potatoes

1 package shredded cheese (2 cups)

Brown the meat in a skillet and drain, if needed; add the gravy mix and required water and cook till blended. Meanwhile, steam the vegetables until tender (microwave is fine), then stir them in. Place mixture in square baking dish and top with prepared (or leftover) mashed potatoes. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted.

Note: This recipe can be altered by adding onions, Worcestershire sauce or doubled gravy, using only peas and carrots, or omitting the cheese and sprinkling the potatoes with paprika.

Source: Lynn Gibbs

To contact Sherry Lucas, email slucas@jackson.gannett.com or call (601) 961-7283. Follow @SherryLucas1 on Twitter.