the shepherd and his pie

A little something to celebrate St. Patys for you. A bit of touble, but worth the effort.

You will need:

For the Garlicky Potato Topping:

• 4 large russet potatos, peeled and quartered
• 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef broth
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• some salt and pepper

For the filling:

• 4 slices bacon, cut into pieces
• vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• some salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 carrots, chopped
• about a cup of frozen peas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or rice flour, for GF)
  
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (or 1/2 cup of wine, for GF)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• black pepper, salt, rosmary, parsley
  
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

What to do:

For the potato topping:

1. In a big pot add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. (While this is going, make the filling)
   
2. When the potatoes are done, drain them and then transfer to a large bowl. Add the the sour cream 1/4 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and squish with a spoon or use a mixer if you prefer. If the mixture is too dry, add some more broth.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a big baking dish with nonstick spray, or coat with butter.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook,until almost crisp, about 8 min, then set aside.
   
3. Drain the bacon fat to a new skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat a little, stir in the beef and cook until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook until the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook 2 more minutes. Add the beer or wine, the cooked bacon, the broth and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Put it all together now:

1. Spoon the meat mixture into the baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
2. Eat with an Irish accent! Top o the mornin' to ya!