Slow-Cooked Shepherd’s Pie

This tasty recipe includes chorizo and is the perfect winter warming dish.

Ingredients

100g skinned, chopped chorizo

1 small chopped leek

200g diced carrots

2 diced celery sticks

1.5kg boneless diced lamb shoulder

2 chopped medium onions

3tbsp olive oil

4 crushed garlic cloves

1tbsp smoked paprika

15g plain flour

4 fresh bay leaves

600ml chicken or lamb stock

Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme

1tbsp tomato puree

Topping

1.2kg floury potatoes

2 crushed garlic cloves

3tbsp chopped parsley

100g grated Manchego cheese

50g butter

Instructions

  1. Season lamb and heat two tablespoons of oil in a large oven-proof casserole. Add half the lamb and fry until browned, remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb. Add chorizo and fry briefly and remove to plate.
  2. Preheat the oven to 150°C and add the remaining olive oil to the casserole with the garlic and onions. Fry gently until softened, add the celery, carrots, and leeks, and fry for another five minutes. Stir in tomato purée, smoked paprika and flour and cook for another couple of minutes while stirring. Add the stock gradually, stirring until smooth before bringing to a simmer. Add the herbs, chorizo and lamb, cover and cook in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
  3. Remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered in the oven for another half an hour to thicken the sauce. Cut the potatoes into chunks and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes until tender before draining and leaving to steam.
  4. Melt the butter in the potato pan, cook the garlic for a minute, then mash with parsley potatoes. Season to taste.
  5. Increase oven temperature to 200°C, and spread the lamb into a 30 x 24 cm oven-proof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and scatter over the cheese. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

Serves 6-8