Ellyn
Veteran
This must have started with Shepherd's Pie, or at least that's the most popular variety. Instead of a crust or any sort, perhaps because old timey shepherds of some region didn't have the time or the energy to roll out a proper crust, there's mashed potato.
For a recipe that was supposed to have originated as a short and easy way to feed shepherds, this has an awful lot of steps! Boil and mash the potatoes. Caramelize the onion in a frying pan. Caramelize the ground beef in a frying pan. Steam the carrots. Drain the meat. Season the potatoes. Add Worcestershire sauce somewhere. Bake it all together in an oven. Grate the cheese on top. I'm missing some steps, but you can be sure there was a lot of dishwashing to be done by the end of it!
When I saw it being made, the cook used ground beef, which should technically make it a Cowboy's Pie (ground mutton or lamb isn't a popular meat where I live.)
One restaurant I went to served Fisher's Pie, which had a good tomato soup of seafood, and a good layer of mashed potatoes...but not together! In my opinion, this might have worked much better with a "crust" of rice.
Are there any other varieties you can think to experiment with?
- Hunter's Pie with venison?
- Duckherd's Pie with an oversized crouton crust? (Although, not-so-fun fact, feeding bread crumbs or pieces of bread to water fowl is not healthy for them! Next time you feed the ducks, try watermelon pieces or tomatoes.)
- Gardener's Pie with beets and carrots, and a crust topping of batter-fried zucchini flowers or pumpking blossoms? (All vegetarian!)
- Gatherer's Pie with fruits, berries and nuts?
For a recipe that was supposed to have originated as a short and easy way to feed shepherds, this has an awful lot of steps! Boil and mash the potatoes. Caramelize the onion in a frying pan. Caramelize the ground beef in a frying pan. Steam the carrots. Drain the meat. Season the potatoes. Add Worcestershire sauce somewhere. Bake it all together in an oven. Grate the cheese on top. I'm missing some steps, but you can be sure there was a lot of dishwashing to be done by the end of it!
When I saw it being made, the cook used ground beef, which should technically make it a Cowboy's Pie (ground mutton or lamb isn't a popular meat where I live.)
One restaurant I went to served Fisher's Pie, which had a good tomato soup of seafood, and a good layer of mashed potatoes...but not together! In my opinion, this might have worked much better with a "crust" of rice.
Are there any other varieties you can think to experiment with?
- Hunter's Pie with venison?
- Duckherd's Pie with an oversized crouton crust? (Although, not-so-fun fact, feeding bread crumbs or pieces of bread to water fowl is not healthy for them! Next time you feed the ducks, try watermelon pieces or tomatoes.)
- Gardener's Pie with beets and carrots, and a crust topping of batter-fried zucchini flowers or pumpking blossoms? (All vegetarian!)
- Gatherer's Pie with fruits, berries and nuts?
