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Here it is as promised my Shepherd’s Pie recipe… erm, though I should point out the reason there is no photo available is because it was eaten long before I wrote this post!

I do like Shepherd’s Pie because it is so easy to make and a very comforting and warming meal to come home to on a wintry night.  This recipe freezes well so you could batch cook a few if you want.

Ingredients:

• 500g minced beef
• 1 large onion chopped
• sunflower oil for frying
• HP sauce or similar
• 2 large handfuls of frozen peas
• seasoning
• Potatoes (general purpose type), about 6 fairly large ones
• margarine

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to about Gas Mark 7 (or ‘high’ for 20 minutes.
2. Whilst the oven is heating up take a frying pan and heat about 1 tsp of the oil and fry the onions until clear.  At this point add the meat and brown this too.  You may need to add another tsp of oil.  To keep the fat content down it helps to use a good quality non-stick pan.
3. Add seasoning to taste (it is so important to season meat or it can taste of nothing), and a good dollop of HP sauce.  If you prefer another similar type of sauce then by all means use that.  Add the peas too.  Cook the mince for about 15 minutes or so.
4. Take a wide baking dish and spoon in the mince.  I used a silicone one and sat it on a large metal baking tray for support.  (Silicone is great to use as it is so easy to clean but can be rather floppy and does need support – I once made a fruit crumble only for the silicone dish to flip up as I tried to get it out of the oven and it went all over the floor!)
5. Now peel and cook the potatoes until soft.  You can boil, steam, or microwave them whatever is easiest for you.  Once cooked (this should take about 15 minutes or so depending upon the density of your potatoes), place the potatoes into a big bowl and mash with a fork.  Season the potatoes and add a little margarine.  I only use about 2-3 tsps.  It is up to you if you want to use more.  Mash it all well with a fork again.
6. Spoon on …er..spoonfuls of mashed potato on top of the mince.  I don’t get fussed over making it all super neat and fancy.  Shepherd’s Pie is meant to be rustic and not like posh restaurant food.
7. Cover the Shepherd’s Pie with foil and bung in the oven no lower than the middle shelf but not right bang at the top!  Cook in the dish in the oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 10-15 minutes to brown.  Lower the heat if need be.  (** If you are batch cooking then after the initial 25 minutes cooking do not cook the dish any further as you will want to do this when you reheat it).
8. Serve the Shepherd’s Pie straight away.

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This is one of my favourite dinners of all time. When I lived in France some years back I used to eat this dish a lot.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of cous cous (amend, see 1.)
• onion
• 1kg cubed meat, or mince meat (I like to use beef)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 chopped red chilli (or use curry powder if you hate chilli)
• 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)
• 1-2 whole garlic cloves
• seasoning
• oil to brown meat
• HP Sauce (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl soak a packet of cous cous for 5-10 minutes, change the amounts depending upon the number of people you are cooking for. Then set aside.
2. In a large saucepan (with a lid), fry an onion in a little oil, then add about 1kg of cubed meat. I like to use beef. You can also use mince meat if you prefer. Brown the meat well.
3. Add a splash of water to stop the meat from catching. Then add seasoning (salt and pepper). Now comes the spicy part, add 1 chopped red chilli (remember the smaller the chilli the hotter it will be, however if you freeze any chilli it will become the same heat as the hottest chilli – be warned). Also add 1 can chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, whole garlic cloves, and a good dollop of HP or brown sauce! (Also if you hate chilli, then why not use curry powder?)
4. Cook the meat without the lid on, simmering away for 35 minutes. If you want you can add sliced carrots and cauliflower to bulk the dish out, this is optional. The meat needs to be almost cooked before the next stage. Now remember you may want to cook the meat for longer (perhaps 45-50 minutes), or use a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes.
5. Right, your meat is virtually cooked, and now you are ready to see to the cous-cous! Take a large sieve and place the cous cous in it. Then hang the sieve over the pan, so it does not touch the meat etc. Now put the lid on top of the sieve.
6. The cous cous will become really fluffy, because it is cooked in the steam of the dish, and takes on much of the flavours.
7. After 15-20 minutes, you ready to serve. Make a ‘filled circle’ of cous cous on the plate, then add a ‘mountain’ of meat and sauce on top! Deeeelicious!

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