Shepherd's pie
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g minced lean lamb
1 large onion, finely grated
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tomato puree
Handful of thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 spring of rosemary, needles chopped
250ml red wine
300ml chicken stock
1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50g butter
2 egg yolks
Parmesan, for grating
Olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Pan-roasted carrots
2 sprigs of rosemary
Small handful of thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove
500g medium sized carrots, peeled and trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few knobs of butter
Method:
Shepherd's pie
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. Heat the oil in a large pan until hot. Season the mince and fry in the oil over moderate to high heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir the onions into the mince then add the chopped garlic in as well. Add the tomato puree and herbs and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened
3. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain .
Mash a potatoes, then beat in the egg yolks, followed by about 2 tbsp grated Parmesan. Check for seasoning.
4. Spoon the mince into the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Using a large spoon, layer the mashed potato generously on top of the mince, starting from the outside and working your way into the middle. Grate some extra Parmesan over and season. Fluff up the mash potato with a fork to make rough peaks. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown
5. For the carrots bring a pan of water to the boil with the rosemary, thyme and garlic. Boil the carrots in the water for 3 minutes to soften slightly, then drain and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan then add the carrots and some seasoning. Brown the carrots all over until just tender, adding the butter towards the end of cooking
Apple and blueberries crumble
Ingredients Crumble:
250g plain flour sieved,
pinch of salt
150g unrefined brown sugar
160g unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing Filling
450g apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in piece
150g blueberries
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Place the fruit in a large bowl. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
3. Butter a 28cm ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
4. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
5. Serve with thick cream or custard.
I'm usually serving the crumble with cream anglaise:
Ingredients:
250ml milk
250ml whipping cream
70gr sugar
5 egg yolks
Vanilla pod
Method:
1. In a bowl stir together the sugar and yolks until well blended.
2. In a saucepan heat the cream, milk and vanilla pod just to the boiling point.
Remove from heat and whisk a few tablespoons of the cream and milk into the yolk mixture. Then, gradually add the yolk mixture back into the cream and milk , whisking constantly.
3. Gently (on low heat) heat the mixture, stirring with spoon, until thickening. Be careful not to bring the mixture to boiling point.
4. Cool down and serve with the crumble.
Bon Appetite!!!
