Not that I'm complaining. I can buy Guinness in bulk for the rest of the year. Guinness, Baileys, and Jameson recipes abound and the color green is everywhere. (My favorite color by the way). But my husband actually is Irish so we make corned beef all year long. Irish food is not a once a year occurrence.
Shepard's pie is one of our favorites and I have adapted the recipe from a favorite Irish blogger of mine. You can find her website here. This Shepard's pie recipe is the absolute best I have ever had. It is the ultimate comfort food.
In my adaptation I've incorporated fennel in this recipe which is not used in traditional Irish cooking, but it's super healthy and I like to substitute it for onions. If you want to use onions instead go for it. I also use colcannon in place of the plain mashed potatoes that are usually used. Colcannon is a wonderful version of mashed potatoes that incorporates kale. It's just an easy way to pack some more nutrition in this delicious dish.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons Olive or canola oil
2lbs lean ground beef
salt and pepper
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Beef broth
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Guinness extra stout
1 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon dark brown Sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
12 oz pkg frozen pea and carrots, thawed
3lb russet potatoes
8 oz sour cream
5 oz kale
1 cup Irish cheddar cheese (grated)
2 packets brown gravy mix
1 and 1/2 cups Water
3 fl oz Guinness extra stout
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon brown Sugar
Directions
Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a large saucepan over high heat and cover them with water. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 or until fork tender.
Meanwhile, season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Brown the beef in two batches to prevent overcrowding. Strain the beef through a colander to drain off the excess fat. Set aside.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown the fennel and garlic in the skillet.
Return the beef to the skillet with the fennel. Next add the tomato paste, dijon mustard, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Stir well.
Add the thyme, parsley, sage, marjoram, brown sugar and chocolate chips. Stir to disperse them throughout the beef broth.
Return the mixture to the boil, then turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy.
While the meat sauce is reducing, add the kale to the potatoes. Cook for another minute and strain the water. Mash well and add the sour cream, salt, and pepper.
When the meat mixture has thickened nicely, pour it into the bottom of a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top the meat layer with thawed peas and carrots, spreading them evenly over the surface of the meat. Spoon the colcannon over the vegetable layer and spread gently over the top.
Place the shepherd’s pie in an oven pre-heated to 350°F. Cook for 15 minutes before adding the grated cheese. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. While it is cooling, make the gravy.
Add the brown gravy packets to the water in a saucepan over high heat. Whisk in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Guinness and brown sugar. Keep whisking the gravy as it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat once it starts to bubble.
Using a metal serving spatula, divide the shepherd's pie into 6 to 8 rectangular servings. Serve with gravy poured over top.
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