bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
|
Post by bullpup on Feb 9, 2015 17:18:42 GMT
I know that originally Cottage pie was made with Beef while surprise surprise Shepherd's Pie was made with lamb however that distinction seems to have pretty well fallen by the wayside so that today anything mince based with a mashed potato topping falls under the catagory of Shepherd's pie.
However lets leave Quorn out of the discussion at the moment?
Anyhow I have taken to adding a bit of zing to mine by adding chopped black pudding at the meat browning stage which really adds a nice depth of flavour. I quite like a bit of Haggis as an alternative but the children find it over powering. Adding grated carrots to the browned mince adds sweetness and bulk. Well caramalised Onion and of course celery are also standard additions.
To serve: flash steamed cabbage, peas or a nice green salad.
Tommy K or HP are of course essential although my daughter likes aged Balsamic Vinegar.
Any other recommendations?
|
|
jc
Fully Modded
Posts: 5,417
|
Post by jc on Feb 9, 2015 19:02:29 GMT
This is one of the few dishes that I actually do make (rather than Mrs cj who has her own recipe).
As I'm not a willing cook I'll use any cheat available. To that end and to get a little wizz into the taste I add a packet of Chili Con Carne mix and chopped up bacon (Mex-pen-pie?). The mash potato has finely chopped onions, lemon juice and a little crushed dry chili mixed in. I always serve with peas.
You lost me with the ketchup or HP with this though!
|
|
|
Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 9, 2015 21:11:36 GMT
I quite like a bit of Haggis as an alternative but the children find it over powering. Are you headmaster of a boarding school bullpup?
|
|
|
Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 9, 2015 21:15:14 GMT
HEY YOU! STAND STILL LADDIE!!!!!
two three four..........
|
|
ronzo56
Been here a while!
All you need is love. But money helps too.
Posts: 316
|
Post by ronzo56 on Feb 9, 2015 21:35:55 GMT
"If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding, how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!" Or Shepard's Pie. I think I've seen it once on a menu over here, and that was probably in the 1960's. Haggis, seen it made once on TV, never in the wild. Heard it's good if made properly. I'm the cook of the house usually (although Mrs. ronzo makes great pork chops and scalloped potatoes and great fried chicken). I use a lot of recipes from Julia Child. Lots of cream and butter in those!
|
|
bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
|
Post by bullpup on Feb 9, 2015 21:49:53 GMT
I quite like a bit of Haggis as an alternative but the children find it over powering. Are you headmaster of a boarding school bullpup? No - I am forunate enough to have a home office which means I tend to do most of the cooking - I have 2 not yet teenage children whose palates I am trying to develop as I am fed up with cooking different meals for adults and children. If I call it Sweet and Sour chicken or Hot and Spicey Chicken they will object. If I call it Stickey Chicken they wolf it down. I should be a spin doctor really.
|
|
bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
|
Post by bullpup on Feb 9, 2015 21:52:39 GMT
This is one of the few dishes that I actually do make (rather than Mrs cj who has her own recipe). As I'm not a willing cook I'll use any cheat available. To that end and to get a little wizz into the taste I add a packet of Chili Con Carne mix and chopped up bacon (Mex-pen-pie?). The mash potato has finely chopped onions, lemon juice and a little crushed dry chili mixed in. I always serve with peas. You lost me with the ketchup or HP with this though! I don't think you could taste them with that mix! In this house TK with Macaroni Cheese or Shepherds pie is the law.
|
|
ronzo56
Been here a while!
All you need is love. But money helps too.
Posts: 316
|
Post by ronzo56 on Feb 9, 2015 22:26:30 GMT
Are you headmaster of a boarding school bullpup? No - I am forunate enough to have a home office which means I tend to do most of the cooking - I have 2 not yet teenage children whose palates I am trying to develop as I am fed up with cooking different meals for adults and children. If I call it Sweet and Sour chicken or Hot and Spicey Chicken they will object. If I call it Stickey Chicken they wolf it down. I should be a spin doctor really. You should. That's brilliant. It's like the fast food companies. They get the kids to eat crappy tasting burgers by giving them a toy. Except you are getting them to eat good tasting healthy food; real food. OK, now you have me thinking about dinner and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon.
|
|
jc
Fully Modded
Posts: 5,417
|
Post by jc on Feb 9, 2015 22:47:05 GMT
We used similar tactics on my son when he was small.
Broccoli? Nahh, "little trees"
Thai Vegetable soup = "green bubble soup" (the liquid was a thin pale green and some of the juice from the veg formed small circles on the surface)
and so on. He still calls some of these dishes but our given names and he's 17 now!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2015 7:07:22 GMT
I get Shepherd's pie occasionally at an Irish restaurant here in Charles Town South Carolina. He makes it to fit a dish that's shaped like a small boat or canoe, although not as narrow as a canoe. He uses ground beef as the bottom filler, then there are peas and onions and other goodies layered in, topped by some kind of yellow cheese. It's quite good, costs about $9 USD, and makes a full meal once you add a little pudding etc. and a tea.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 8:37:12 GMT
Bullpup, like your suggestion about adding black pudding. Very nice. We also have cottage pie with cabbage; seems to go well somehow, batton carrots too.
I don't enjoy ketchup or brown sauce with gravy-based meals though. It just HAS to be Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce evry time :-)
Would you use a stock cube or two? I would have my mince in a thick gravy flavoured with an beef OXO cube and a half teaspoon of Bovril.
Derek
|
|
bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
|
Post by bullpup on Feb 11, 2015 22:44:27 GMT
Good evening
I agree there is something about an oxo cube that really brings out the best of mince but I have never tried Bovril.I love Lea & Perrins in this as well.
At this time of year vegetables are stupidly expensive but I have found a really good shop where I can buy a 20kg sack of amazing Spanish onions and a 15kg sack of English Carrots for less than £10!!
|
|
jc
Fully Modded
Posts: 5,417
|
Post by jc on Feb 11, 2015 23:04:34 GMT
We are lucky enough to be living in the middle of Spanish veg and fruit central. Amazing fresh supplies directly off the farms at low cost.
|
|
bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
|
Post by bullpup on Feb 11, 2015 23:22:24 GMT
We are lucky enough to be living in the middle of Spanish veg and fruit central. Amazing fresh supplies directly off the farms at low cost. Very nice!
|
|
ronzo56
Been here a while!
All you need is love. But money helps too.
Posts: 316
|
Post by ronzo56 on Feb 13, 2015 1:18:04 GMT
After reading this thread, I did a search of our area for Shepard pie. There are now 3 restaurants in the city just north of me that serve it. But none in the city I live in. Guess I'll just have to make my own, as I am half Irish ancestry. Seem all the restaurants here use ground beef and peas.
|
|