Shepherd's Pie
Few seemingly simple and traditional dishes have so much controversy about their names. There are those who hold that it is a shepherd's pie when made with lamb and cottage pie when made with beef - and vice versa. Some people say it should be made with raw meat, others with cooked.
INGREDIENTS: Minced lamb - 450 g (1 lb), Onion - 1 large chopped, Bay leaf - 1, Mushrooms - 50 g (2 oz) sliced, Carrots - 2 diced, Plain flour - 25 g (1 oz), Lamb or beef stock - 300 ml, Tomato purée - 1 tbsp, Potatoes - 700 g, chopped, Butter - 25 g (1 oz), Milk - 4 tbsp, Lancashire cheese - 50 g (2 oz), crumbled.
COOKING: 1. Pre-heat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6.
2. Dry fry the lamb with the onion, bay leaf, mushrooms and carrots for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the stock and tomato puree. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and boils.
4. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Remove the bayleaf and spoon into a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof 5. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash with the butter and milk and mix well. Pile onto the mince mixture and sprinkle over the cheese
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with a green vegetable.