MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Irish Comfort Classics Shepherd's Pie
Categories: Beef, Potatoes, Dairy, Vegetables, Mushrooms
     Yield: 4 Servings

 1 1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef (ground
          - round) *
     2 tb Water; +2 ts
          Salt & pepper
   1/2 ts Baking soda
 2 1/2 lb Russet potatoes; peeled,
          - in 1" chunks
     4 tb Unsalted butter; melted
   1/2 c  Whole milk
     1 lg Egg yolk
     8    Scallions; green only, thin
          - sliced
     2 ts Oil
     1 lg Onion; peeled, chopped
     4 oz White mushrooms; trimmed,
          - chopped
     1 tb Tomato paste
     2 cl Garlic; minced
     2 tb Madeira or ruby port
     2 tb All-purpose flour
 1 1/4 c  Beef broth
     2 ts Worcestershire sauce
     2    Fresh thyme sprigs
     1    Bay leaf
     2    Carrots; peeled, chopped
     2 ts Corn starch

 * Don't use ground beef that's fattier than 93% or the dish will be
   greasy. (Drain the grease, doofus - UDD)

 Toss beef with 2 tb water, 1 ts salt, 1/4 ts pepper, and baking
 soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

 Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water to just
 cover and 1 tb salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to
 medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft and tip of paring
 knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes.
 Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low heat
 and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture on
 potatoes has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and
 mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and
 egg yolk in small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion
 greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

 Heat oil in broiler-safe 10" skillet over medium heat until
 shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 ts salt, and 1/4 ts pepper;
 cook, stir occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to
 soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes.
 Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is
 dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook, scraping up any
 browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and
 cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and
 carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

 Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2" chunks to broth, and
 bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked
 through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks
 with 2 forks halfway through. Stir corn starch and remaining 2 ts
 water together in bowl. Stir corn starch mixture into filling and
 continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
 Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 Adjust oven rack 5" from broiler element and heat broiler. Place
 mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off 1 corner to
 create 1" opening.

 Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure to cover
 entire surface. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines
 of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking
 sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and
 filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before
 serving.

 SHEPHERD'S PIE MAKEOVER: Between trimming, searing, and braising
 chunks of stew meat and then mashing and piping the potato topping,
 traditional shepherd's pie is an all-afternoon project. Plus, it's
 hefty fare. Here's how we freshened up the concept and got dinner
 on the table in about an hour.

 SWAP GROUND BEEF FOR STEW MEAT: Ground meat cooks in less than half
 the time required by bigger chunks and needs no butchering.

 RECIPE FROM: https://www.americastestkitchen.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

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