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Photo by Anne Clark/iStock
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A food mill finely processes potatoes and purees other foods when a smooth texture is desired. See tip below.
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVES 8
POTATOES
1½ pounds potatoes
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FILLING
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup frozen English peas
Preheat oven to 375 F. Peel the potatoes and dice into ½-inch cubes. Place in a medium saucepan, and add enough water to cover. Set on medium-high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Decrease heat; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream and butter together. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the hot pan to evaporate excess water. Use a food mill or potato ricer to process the potatoes, or use a masher. Add the warmed milk mixture, salt and pepper; continue mashing until smooth. Keep warm.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add onion and carrot, and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook an additional minute. Add the beef, salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle meat with flour, and stir to coat; continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the corn and peas.
Spread the beef mixture evenly in a cast-iron or other baking dish, about 11 by 7 by 2 inches.
Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove from oven, and cool on a rack for 20 minutes before serving.
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Recipe tip
What is a food mill? When you want a smooth consistency for certain foods—such as the mashed potatoes atop shepherd’s pie—a food mill is a great tool to help achieve the best texture. A food mill is a bowl with small holes in the bottom (like a colander) and a hand crank attached to a blade. Turn the crank, and the blade pushes the food through the holes. The finely processed potatoes will be ready to mix and mash with your other ingredients.