History of Shepherd's Pie from the United Kingdom

History 

Shepherd's pie is said to have stemmed off of the term cottage pie, which was a meat pie with ground/minced beef. The term shepherd's pie didn't originate until 1854 and was used synonymously whether the pie was made out of beef or lamb. However, since the 20th century, the name was only used in the UK when referring to a pie made with lamb.
The recipe has many variations, but the defining ingredients are minced red meat (lamb), cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions and vegetables that range from peas, celery, or carrots, and finally topped with a layer of mashed potatoes before it is baked. Occasionally, the pie is topped with grated cheese to create a layer of melted cheese on top. 

Recipe

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped 
  
• 3 large carrots
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pepper to taste
• 3 lb ground lamb
• salt to taste
• 6 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 lb yukon gold potato, cubed
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 4 large egg yolks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground lamb, season with salt and pepper, fry for 5 minutes until cooked.
3. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, stir, and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates.
5. Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated.
6. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook the meat until the stock has evaporated, 5 minutes.
7. Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain, then return to the hot pan over low heat to dry out.
8. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and mash until smooth.
9. Add salt, the butter, egg yolks, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. Fold until well combined.
10. Transfer the potatoes to a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a star tip.
11. Spoon the lamb mixture into a large baking dish. Pipe the golden mashed potatoes over the lamb.
12. Bake for 30 minutes.
13. Serve.

Analysis

Going into this dish, I expected something almost lack-luster compared to the other dishes I've made recently. However, I was surprised to find out it was actually interesting to make and something different to eat. 

I added brown gravy to my pie just to give it some more moisture, but it was still good without either way.