Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Ale
A traditional English Shepherd’s Pie topped with a Potato Celery Root Purée and Goat Gouda, to create delicious a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Ale!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 – 8guests | 20minute |
| Cook Time |
| 30 – 35minute |
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Ingredients
- 4ounce butter, unsalted1 stick
- 2tablespoon oil, olive
- 2each onions, yellow, large,peeled and chopped
- 3each carrots, largepeeled and chopped fine
- 2each celery, stalks,washed and chopped fine
- 1each leek, large,sliced in half, washed and sliced
- 2pound lamb, ground
- 4each garlic, clovespeeled and minced
- 1teaspoon salt, kosher
- 2tablespoon Italian Leaf Parsleywashed and chopped
- 1tablespoon rosemary, freshleaves chopped
- 12ounce English Mild Ale,such as Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Double Barrel Ale (DBA)
- 2cup stock, chicken or lamb
- 1recipe Potato Celery Root Pureerecipe here
- 2cup goat gouda cheese,grated, for more info click here
- salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F | 177°C. In a large dutch oven or sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add onions, carrots, celery and leeks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables become translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl, reserving as much of the butter/oil in the pan as possible. Add half of the ground lamb (or meat) into the pan and brown evenly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 – 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining meat. By not adding all the meat at the same time, the meat isn’t overcrowded in the pan, causing the meat to brown rather than steam.
- Add the garlic, parsley and rosemary to the meat as it finishes browning and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with theFirestone Walker Brewing Co. Double Barrel Ale (DBA), using a wooden spoon to scrape off any brown bits (fond) stuck to the pan and let beer reduce by half. As this brew is low in IBUs, it will not get bitter, just reduce and intensify the malty oaky flavor.
- Add the reserved vegetables and first batch of meat back into the pan, topping off with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce till the level of the liquid is equal with the meat and vegetables; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour this mixture into a 9X13 pan, spreading out evenly in one layer.
- Add the Potato Celery Root Purée to the top of the meat mixture.
- A tip to help evenly distribute the topping is to spoon the mixture over the meat first.
- Then using a spatula, spread the mounds,
- leveling the Potato Celery Root Purée into a even layer.
- Add the grated Goat Gouda cheese
- and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the shepherds Pie in the center of the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the cheese has melted and starting to turn a nice golden brown color and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, to thicken the sauce slightly as it cools. Serve family style or individually, garnishing with Italian leaf parsley.
Recipe Notes
Beer Pairing Suggestion:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. is the only American brewery I know of using the British Union Oak Barrel Brewing System. Their Double Barrel Ale (DBA) has a wonderful oak character that adds a depth of flavor to this English Bitter, not found in many oak aged ales, as they ferment in the barrel. This oak accentuates the Lambs richness and the sweetness of the carrots and leeks. Matt Brynildson’s attention to the balance of noble hops and English malt, creates a great drinking and cooking brew that has won several medals. I would recommend FW DBA as a beer to pairing with this
Shepherd’s Pie Variations:
If you like more of a classic mash potato topping for this Shepherd’s Pie, replace the Potato Celery Root Purée recipe with my Roasted Garlic IPA Mash Potatoes.
Other Savory Beer Pie Recipes:
Fisherman’s Pie Infused with Irish Red Ale
Lamb Shepherd's Pie with Ale