Recipes for National Cooking Programme – Week Twelve

We’re very excited to launch our National Cooking Programme – an ‘oven-ready’ programme of x20 FREE online interactive classes for teenagers wanting to learn to cook. Here is what we’ll be cooking on Wednesday 1 September 2021 at 5.30pm which will be livestreamed on Instagram and YouTube.  Please get prepared with the ingredients and familiarise yourself with the recipe so you can cook along with us.

Shopping list

Firstly, here is a handy shopping list for all of the ingredients required

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
500g minced lamb
750g of old potatoes (do not use new potatoes)
olive oil
milk
1 large onion
75g/30zs butter
1 clove of garlic
1 large carrot
2 sticks of celery
1 handful of chopped parsley
1 small handful of chopped marjoram or thyme
water as required
salt to season

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
250g aubergine
750g of old potatoes (do not use new potatoes)
1 large onion
75g/30zs butter
olive oil
milk to use as required
250g mushroom
1 clove garlic
1 large carrot
2 sticks of celery
1 handful of chopped parsley
1 small handful of chopped marjoram or thyme
vegetable stock as required
3 bananas or punnet of blueberries

 

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is made from lamb and cottage pie from beef. Left over lamb or beef from a roast or stew makes a great pie but we are making ours from
uncooked minced lamb or beef.

Ingredients

PIE FILLING
500g minced lamb
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped very fine
1 clove of garlic chopped finely
1 large carrot diced into very small cubes
2 sticks of celery diced into very small cubes
1 handful of chopped parsley
1 small handful of chopped marjoram or thyme
water as required

MASH
750g of potatoes (do not use new potatoes)
milk to use as required
75g/30zs butter
salt to season

Method

1. Put the lamb and oil into a large saucepan. Turn up the heat and allow the lamb to cook,
breaking it down all the time so that there are small pieces of lamb rather than a chunk.
Fry the lamb well until it is a good, rich brown colour. This is important as it gives the pie a
good flavour.
2. Once the lamb starts to brown, add the chopped onion and allow it to brown at the same
time.
3. Once the lamb and onions are browned, add the garlic and fry for a minute or two only but
do not brown as it can become bitter.
4. Then add the diced carrot and celery as well as the parsley and marjoram and sufficient
water to cover the mixture.
5. Bring the mixture to the boil and then turn down and cook for about 30 minutes or until
everything is well incorporated and the gravy is well reduced and strong.
6. Meanwhile peel the potatoes. Place them in a saucepan, cover them with water, place on
cooker and bring them to the boil.
7. Allow the potatoes to cook until they are very soft. Test to see if the potatoes are done by
sticking the tip of a sharp knife into a potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are cooked.
Drain them and place back in the saucepan.
8. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they are no longer lumpy.
9. Then add the butter to the mash and mix in well. Add a little milk too to loosen the mash
to a good consistency. The mash must be on the soft side and easy to spread.
10. Taste the mash and season with salt so that it is not too bland.
11. When your meat is well cooked, taste that too for seasoning.
12. Place the meat filling in an oven proof dish and spread out evenly.
13. Dollop spoonfuls of mash over the meat filling and, using a spatula, spread them out
evenly so that all of the meat is well covered with delicious mashed potato.
14. Then, using a fork, draw parallel lines into the mash. This is a traditional pattern.
15. Bake in oven 190ºC/380ºF for 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

PIE FILLING
250g aubergine cubed small
1 large onion chopped very fine
3 tablespoon olive oil
250g mushroom chopped finely
1 clove of garlic chopped finely
1 large carrot diced into very small cubes
2 sticks of celery diced into very small cubes
1 handful of chopped parsley
1 small handful of chopped marjoram or thyme
vegetable stock as required

MASH
750g of potatoes (do not use new potatoes)
75g/30zs butter
milk to use as required
salt to season

Method

1. Put the aubergine, onion and oil into a large saucepan. Turn up the heat and allow the vegetables to brown until they are a good brown colour. This is important as it gives the pie a good flavour.
2. Empty the contents of the pan into a bowl but do not wash the saucepan.
3. Using the same pan, add a little oil to it and fry the mushrooms until they have lost their
water and are starting to brown.
4. At this stage add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until the garlic becomes
translucent. Do not brown the garlic or it could become bitter.
5. Empty this mixture into the bowl with the aubergine and onions.
6. Again using the same saucepan, lightly fry the carrots and celery for a few minutes.
7. Then add the parsley and marjoram and sufficient stock to cover the mixture.
8. Bring the mixture to the boil and then turn down and cook for about 20 minutes or until
everything is well incorporated and the gravy is well reduced and strong.
6. Meanwhile peel the potatoes. Place them in a saucepan, cover them with water, place on
cooker and bring them to the boil.
7. Allow the potatoes to cook until they are very soft. Test to see if the potatoes are done by
sticking the tip of a sharp knife into a potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are cooked.
Drain them and place back in the saucepan.
8. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they are no longer lumpy.
9. Then add the butter to the mash and mix in well. Add a little milk too to loosen the mash
to a good consistency. The mash must be on the soft side and easy to spread.
10. Taste the mash and season with salt so that it is not too bland.
11. When your sauce is well cooked, taste that too for seasoning.
12. Place the veg filling in an oven proof dish and spread out evenly.
13. Dollop spoonfuls of mash over the filling and, using a spatula, spread them out evenly so
that all of the veg filling is well covered with delicious mashed potato.
14. Then, using a fork, draw parallel lines into the mash. This is a traditional pattern.
15. Bake in oven 190ºC/380ºF for 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

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Classes