Mr Lamb's Shepherd's Pie is a comfort food classic. Marco's take on the traditional British dish was inspired by Mr. Lamb, a kitchen porter, who worked for him at his renowned restaurant at the Box Tree Restaurant, Ilkley. Mr. Lamb was tasked with cooking for the restaurant team every week and he would always serve up Shepherd's Pie.
Now a signature dish across many of Marco's restaurants, he named the dish after Mr. Lamb as the recipe was inspired by the Shepherd's Pie regularly created for the staff at the Box Tree.
1kg minced lamb shoulder
1 large white onions, diced
40ml Lea & Perrins sauce
20ml sherry vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
50ml brown sauce
1 bay leaf
30ml Ketchup
5g thyme
20ml Dijon mustard
2g Rosemary sprigs
20ml madeira
2g gravy powder
25g diced carrots
25g swede diced
1g salt
1g pepper
175g peas to serve
3 large potatoes
6g butter
6ml milk
6ml double cream
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1. Sweat the onions and brown the mince in a pan until clear. Then add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a deep braising tin.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar and reduce to glaze. Deglaze with the madeira and reduce to glaze. Deglaze with Lea & Perrins and reduce to glaze.
3. Add the brown sauce, ketchup, mustard and mix thoroughly until simmering. Once simmered, add to the mince.
4. Deglaze the pan with the veal stock and bring to simmer. Add the thyme and bay leaf and then add the mixture to the mince.
5. Bring all the ingredients in the braising tin to simmer. Then add a piece of grease proof paper over the top to cover and then a piece of tin foil over the top. Once covered, place into the oven at 150 degrees for 2-3 hrs until tender.
6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and transfer to a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil. Whisk in the gravy powder until thickened.
7. Season with sherry vinegar, brown sauce and Lea & Perrins to adjust the acidity, sweetness and richness. Whilst still hot, season with salt and pepper and add Rosemary.
8. In a pan, heat some butter and sweat off the diced carrots and swede. Once cooked, add to the minced lamb and place in an oven dish.
Mashed Potato:
9. Leaving the skins on, bake the potatoes. Once cooked, remove the skins.
10. Mash the potatoes and add the butter, milk, cream, salt and pepper. Once combined, add the egg yolk and then spoon into a piping bag.
11. Pipe the mashed potato onto the Shepard's pie mix and place in to the oven for approx. 9 minutes. Once the mashed potato starts to brown, take out and serve with the buttered peas.
