Lamb shank shepherd's pie

There are few dishes more satisfying than a shepherd’s pie. And there are fewer cuts of meat more flavoursome than new season British lamb, so you really can’t go wrong with this this one! Melt-in-the-mouth lamb, in a rich and decadent gravy, topped with creamy mash with parmesan, it’s a crowd pleaser and then some! Inspired by a dish that Billy created on MasterChef a few years back, it’s one we keep coming back to and serve at our Dinner Club on a regular basis.

Cuisine: British
Serves: 6
Calories: 477 kcal
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
375 millilitres red wine
100 millilitres Worcestershire sauce
2 carrots
2 banana shallots
2 sticks celery
100 grams pancetta
50 grams tomato puree
1 small celeriac
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
4 garlic cloves
2 litres lamb stock

For the mash
4 large Maris Piper potatoes
75 grams unsalted butter
75 millilitres double cream

Instructions 

For the filling, season and brown the lamb shanks all over on a high heat. In the same pan add the pancetta, one carrot, one stick of celery, a shallot and both garlic cloves, all roughly chopped. Brown the vegetables then mix in the tomato puree and cook for a further minute. Remove from the pan.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and Worcestershire sauce and pour into a roasting tin along with the lamb stock, the lamb shanks, vegetables and herbs. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 150 degrees for 3 hours.

For the mash, peel and quarter the potatoes, put into cold water and bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until tender all the way through. Drain and let steam for a couple of minutes. Rice or mash, adding the butter and double cream. Season and set aside.

Once the lamb is cooked, allow to cool and then pick meat from the bones. Sieve the liquid and reduce until it’s a sauce consistency.

Finely dice the remaining ingredients and sweat in a little oil. Add the picked meat and enough sauce to from a ragu, (keep the remainder for pouring). Add to a roasting dish, top with the mash potatoes, grate over the parmesan and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve with your favourite seasonal vegetables, grilled or steamed.

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