Shepherd's pie (recipe)

Another traditional english recipe, this one coming from the West Country sheep-farming communities. This is my version of the recipe which may not be quite so traditional but tastes divine.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 pound of minced meat (lamb is traditional but minced beef (ground beef in the USA I believe) is easier to obtain these days)
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes
• Tomato ketchup
• Fresh stock, or failing that, a stock cube
• Worcestershire sauce
• Oil for frying
• Salt, pepper, bay leaves, herbs etc to taste
• 3 pounds of potatoes
• Milk
• Butter

What to do

Chop the onion (finely or coarsely, it's up to you) and fry gently in the oil until translucent. Add the minced meat and continue frying until it has browned. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of stock, enough to just cover the meat. Finely chop the tomatoes and add them. Add the seasonings and ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water. When soft, drain and mash with plenty of milk and butter.

When the meat mixture is cooked it should be of the consistency of a thick chilli, pour it into an ovenproof dish, making sure it comes no more than two-thirds of the way up the sides. Now place the mashed potato on top of this, forming a thick potato "crust" on top of the meat. Optionally garnish with grated cheese and/or slices of tomato and put in a hot oven until the top of the potato goes crispy.

Serves 3-6 depending on how hungry you are, serve with fresh vegetables, salad and crusty bread.