Day 75: Chef Gordon Ramesy's Shepherd's Pie

One of my favorite TV shows is Kitchen Nightmares on BBCA. I love watching these stupid people fight with a world famous chef about why their restaurants don't suck. It makes me laugh that anyone in the restaurant biz wouldn't take advice from someone as successful as Gordon Ramsey. Don't get me wrong, he's a jerk, but still... One of the dishes he is always teaching on the show is his Shepherd's Pie, and every time he does, I want to try it. So after my last Shepherd's Pie fiasco (seriously, don't make the other recipe) I searched the Internet for Gordon Ramsey's. Not only did I find the recipe, but several videos of him making it. His recipe uses lamb and red wine. I used ground beef and extra chicken stock. The wine would give it more flavor, but my kids would all have strokes if we had any kind of alcohol in the house. I also converted the measurements from metric to standard so you won't have to.

Gordon Ramsey's Shepherd's Pie

10" dutch oven

1 lb. lean ground beef

sea salt and pepper

1 large onion, finely grated

1 large carrot, finely grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp. Worcestershire

1 Tbs. tomato puree (I used tomato paste)

Handful of thyme sprigs, leaves picked (I used about a tsp. dried thyme)

1 sprig rosemary, needles chopped (I used about a tsp. of dried rosemary)

8 oz. red wine (I used chicken stock)

10 oz. (1 1/4 cup) chicken stock

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 Tbs. butter

2 egg yolks

Parmesan for grating

sea salt and pepper

Fry the ground beef in your DO over high heat for 3-5 minutes. I used 15-18 coals for that. Add the onions, carrot and garlic. Continue cooking until the beef is browned. Drain if necessary. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and herbs and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. I used a 10" oven with as many coals as I could fit under it. Drain then return to the hot pan over low heat to dry out briefly. Pass them through a potato ricer (I just mashed mine) then beat in the egg yolks, followed my about 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese. Check for seasoning. Spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture starting from the outside and working your way into the middle. Grate some extra Parmesan cheese over and season with salt and pepper. Fluff up the mashed potatoes with a fork to make rough peaks. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbling and browned. Serves 4.

The Finished Product

Sorry this pic is so terrible. It was all I could do to take one because everyone was starving!

The Review

Yum, Yum, Yum. The difference between this Shepherd's Pie and the last one is laughable!! This tasted so fresh and was perfectly seasoned. I should have cooked it a little longer to brown the cheese, but we ate late and were starving. My potatoes were also a little to thick so next time I will add a little milk to them to make them spread easier. Over all, this is a really simple and delicious dish. It will become a regular in our winter menu. Grade A.