Skillet Shepherd's Pie with Lamb
In this recipe I combined two of my favorite foods—shepherd’s pie and Moroccan spiced lamb. The result is a classic dish with a sparkle of something new. The lamb filling gets seasoned with garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and a hint of cinnamon, while a shower of fresh mint brightens everything up. It gets topped with peas and a cap of mashed potatoes (I use mascarpone cheese in the mashed potatoes to give them a rich texture that holds up well when baked, but if you have leftover mashed potatoes, by all means go ahead and use them). The final flourish is a bubbling cap of cheese, and once again I depart from tradition to use Comté or gruyere (but sharp cheddar works too!). Measure out the spices for the lamb filling before beginning for the most ease. This is a comforting meal that’s also bright with the flavors of spring.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, (2 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, or more as needed
Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground lamb
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free or regular flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, divided, plus more for serving
- 1 ½ cups frozen (or defrosted) sweet peas
- 1 cup shredded Comté or Gruyere cheese
Instructions
Make the mashed potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and season well with salt. Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are tender in the center when pierced with a sharp knife, about 8-12 minutes (while the potatoes cook, start the filling).
- Drain the potatoes and shake them dry. You can either pass them through a potato ricer back into the pan, or dump them straight into the pan and use a potato masher or fork to mash them until fluffy. Add the butter, mascarpone cheese, and 1 tablespoon of milk, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until smooth. The potatoes should be a bit thicker than regular mashed potatoes but still creamy—if you think they need it, add a splash more milk. Cover the pan to keep warm.
Make the Filling
- In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (such as cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through (if the lamb releases a lot of fat while cooking, spoon it off as it cooks—this will help the meat brown), about 4-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and discard the drippings.
- In the same skillet (don’t wash it), heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 30-60 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over top of the onions and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth while whisking. Bring the broth to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, then slide in the cooked lamb. Season with a bit more salt and pepper. Cook until the filling is thickened (it will only take few seconds).
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half of the mint. Give the filling a taste and adjust the seasonings to please your palate.
Assemble and bake
- Scatter the peas over the lamb, and season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining mint on top. Dollop the mashed potatoes over the peas, then spread them in an even layer. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.
- Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until the lamb filling is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown in spots, about 25 minutes.
- Let the shepherd’s pie cool for 10 minutes before serving. Scoop it into shallow bowls and shower it with more mint before devouring.
Notes
- Spoon off excess lamb fat as it cooks. That one step helps the meat brown better and keeps the filling from feeling greasy.
- Keep the mashed potatoes slightly thicker than usual. They should be creamy enough to spread, but sturdy enough to sit neatly over the peas and lamb.
- Taste the filling before you assemble the skillet. Lamb can handle a good amount of seasoning, and the final dish tastes best when the filling is well seasoned before the potato topping goes on.
- Let the pie rest before serving. That short cooling time helps the filling settle and makes the whole dish easier to scoop.
- Let the shepherd’s pie cool completely, then cover the skillet or transfer portions to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Shepherd’s pie freezes beautifully. Once cooled, wrap the dish tightly or transfer portions to freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 2 months. If freezing the whole skillet, it’s best to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat a full dish, cover loosely with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20–25 minutes, or until heated through. If the potatoes look dry after reheating, a small pat of butter or a splash of milk stirred into the top brings them right back to life.
Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!