Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Savoury Pies - Shepherd's Pie




One of my blogging friends, Ivy of
Kopiaste, is hosting a food event called Savoury Pies. As the name suggests, to participate, you need to make and post about a savoury pie by 30 September.

For my entry, I have decided to make a savoury pie with a savoury mince filling and single mashed potato and parsnip crust - known here as shepherd's pie. My recipe is from the Australian Heart Foundation's New Classic Cookbook by Loukie Werle, so has the advantage of being a somewhat healthy pie. I added minced chickpeas (don't ask!!! I needed to get rid of them somehow) and frozen peas to the meat filling, making my version of the pie a complete meal in itself.


To make this hearty dish, you will need:

Filling

3 teaspoons canola oil
2 chopped onions
600g lean beef mince
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup red wine
pepper to taste


Topping

500g peeled and chopped parsnips
500g peeled and chopped potatoes
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
425g tin chickpeas, drained and minced (optional)


Filling

Heat the oil in a large frypan, then cook the onions in it until soft. Add the mince and cook until it has just browned, then add the chickpeas, peas, Worcestershire sauce, cloves, pepper and wine and bring to the boil. Switch back the heat to a simmer, cover the frypan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.


Topping

Boil the potatoes and parsnips until soft. Drain them, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Mash the cooked potatoes and parsnips, then stir through the oil and pepper to taste, and enough of the reserved cooking water to make a smooth consistency.

Assembly

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Put the meat in a cassserole dish sprayed lightly with cooking oil. Place the filling in the bottom and spread the potato/parsnip topping over it. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and combine with the remaining teaspoon of oil, then sprinkle over the top of the pie. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, until the top is crisp. Remove from the oven and serve.

Perhaps this is not the prettiest picture in the world, but this pie is robust and filling - just what I need after a hard day at work. I like to serve it with tomato sauce (ketchup) for extra flavour.
Thanks to Ivy for hosting the Savoury Pies event. You can find the truly astonishing variety of savoury pies in the roundup here.

9 comments:

Finla said...

I have seeing pie a lot these days because of the event.
Never had them but head a lot about this pie

Ivy said...

Thanks Cake for participating. I haven't had shepherd's pie for a long time. Sounds great and the addition of the chickpeas makes a much healthier version.

Susan @ SGCC said...

This is such a coincidence. Yesterday, my daughter requested that I make Shepherd's Pie for dinner. So, that's what I'm making tonight.

Your pie looks delicious. It is a little different that mine, but very interesting. I'll have to try some parsnips this time.

Astra Libris said...

oooh YUM! I adore shepherd's pie, and your version sounds so scrumptious! I love how you added the chickpeas - what a great way to boost the fiber and protein!

Cakelaw said...

Hi Happy Cook, my Mum's version (which is different again) was a staple when we were growing up - very good as a winter dish.

Hi Ivy, The chickpeas were serendipitous because I thought I needed them for something else, then realised I didn't after I had already blended them up. This seemed like an easy way to use them up.

LOL Susan - there are so many coincidences in the blogging world - great minds think alike ;)

Hi Astrid, Thanks - inspired by my not wanting to waste the can of chickpeas that I had just unnecessarily minced.

Deb said...

Gosh, Shepherd's Pie is like a blast from the past. We used to always have that as kids. Haven't had it for years. It is great comfort food. Especially with lashings of worcestershire sauce over the top once it's cooked!!

Dee said...

I won't ask :) But I do like that you added chickpeas in. Canned would be fine, right? I love one-dish meals - who wants to spend the night washing up. Maybe next time, I'll just serve the pie in the middle and hand out forks sans plates. Yes, I am THAT lazy.

Cakelaw said...

Hi Deb, we always had shepherds pie as kids, too. In our case, we were too fussy to have "hot sauce".

Hi Dee, LOL - am with you. The cleaning up part os not generaly my favourite part of cooking.

Unknown said...

did you use parsnips??? hey my fave! hehehe...