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Darina Allen's delicious Shepherd's Pie and Garlic Bread
25g (1oz/1/4 stick) butter
110g (4oz) chopped onion
1oz (25g/scant 1/4 cup approx) flour
450ml (16fl oz/2 cups) stock and left over gravy
1 teaspoon tomato purée
1 dessertspoons (2 American teaspoons) mushroom ketchup (optional)
1 dessertspoon (2 American teaspoons) chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
450g (1lb) minced cooked lamb
900g (2lb) cooked mashed potatoes
Garlic Butter (see recipe below)
Melt the butter, add the onion, cover with a round of greased paper and cook over a slow heat for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook until brown. Add the stock, bring to the boil. Add the tomato puree, mushroom ketchup, chopped parsley, thyme leaves, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the meat to the sauce, bring to the boil. Taste and correct seasoning. Put in a pie dish, cover with the mashed potatoes and score with a fork. Reheat in a moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4 for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Garnish with parsley and serve with Garlic butter.
Garlic Butter
50g (2oz/1/2 stick) butter
4 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
2-3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
Cream the butter, stir in the parsley and a few drops of lemon juice at a time. Add the crushed garlic. Roll into butter pats or form into a roll and wrap in greaseproof paper or tinfoil, screwing each end so that it looks like a cracker. Refrigerate to harden.
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