Shepard’s pie is traditionally a British dish that consisted of minced ground lamb covered in mashed potatoes. It has been a favorite dish to serve to a large group of people. I personally don’t care for lamb, so I searched for a Shepard’s pie recipe that contains ground beef. But technically, if you use ground beef instead of lamb (as most Americans do), it is called cottage pie. You can even use fish and create what is known as a fisherman’s pie.
Regardless of what type of meat you use and what you call it, I think you will like this Russian variation of Shepard’s pie.
Russian Shepard’s Pie
For this recipe, you will need two pounds of potatoes, milk, butter, salt, pepper, all purpose flour, eggs, ground beef, two onions, sliced mushrooms (enough to make 1 1/2 cups), caraway seeds, and shredded cheddar cheese. Slice both the onions into thin strips.
Peel your potatoes (you should use about six) and cut them into chunks. Place them in a saucepan of boiling, salted water. Cover and let them cook until tender, which should take 10-12 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and drain the potatoes. Add 1/4 cup of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of flour and 1 egg. Stir well.
Cook the beef in a frying pan over medium heat until no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Drain off the fat then add the sliced onions, 1 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and stir well. Let this cook until the onions are tender. Sprinkle this with 1/4 cup of flour, stir well, and allow it to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-inch glass baking dish, spread half of the potato mixture. Spoon the meat mixture on top of that, and then top with the other half of the potato mixture. Beat one egg and brush it over the top of the pie. Sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
