He's home!!

Yesterday evening, after a crazy afternoon of cleaning, hurrying to base, locking my keys in my car, calling what felt like a bazillion locksmiths and finally and losing $60 so we could actually drive home that day, I got to see my husband again. It was exciting, tiring, cold and strange, but such a relief to have the day I waited nearly 9 months for finally arrive. I know I had at first said I was going to stop this when he came back, and my posts may come with less frequency, but I think I will continue with the occasional post. One of my husbands favorite meals, and the first home cooked meal he had after so long, was Shepherd Pie. Growing up, I always thought that Shepherds pie was beef, vegetables, gravy and mashed potatoes, but after hours of watching The Food Network, I found out that wasn't so. Shepherd's pie specifically gets its name because it is made with whats available to shepherds: lamb. When it's made with beef it is actually called Cottage pie, but that's just a name game. I have always made mine with beef, but this time I was determined to get a little fancier, and so I sought out some ground lamb. After visiting and calling almost 10 different places, I finally found a place that carried it, and while it is a quite a bit pricier than beef (nearly $7 a pound) my husband definitely appreciated the change in meat. And for the low down on how to do it traditionally, I went to he always wonderful Alton Brown. Now, on to the recipe.


Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Then add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. (That's what the recipe seriously calls for, who has an 11x7 baking dish? All I have is a 8x8 or a 9x13, I went with the 9x13 and it just seemed too thin, I'd opt for the 8x8 and just hope it doesn't overflow next time) Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.