Individual Shepherd Pies
Todd Miller
Ted’s Bulletin
Washington, D.C.
While sharing a large pie is rewarding, single-serve entree pies are better suited for the times. They are portable and can be packaged individually for customers to grab and go. At Ted’s Bulletin in Washington, D.C., chef Todd Miller creates a new take on shepherd’s pie, filling a flaky crust with a hearty ground meat mixture, then piping the traditional mashed potatoes on the baked pies. It makes for an elevated presentation.
Ingredients
Crust and filling
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 to 4 large carrots, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 lb. ground beef or lamb
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. tomato paste
¾ cup dry red wine
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt, to taste
Recipe for favorite pie dough
2 to 3 beaten eggs
Mashed potatoes
2 lb. potatoes, cut into cubes and cooked until tender
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
⅓ cup milk
Grated Parmesan cheese
Glaze
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. thyme, chopped
Steps
1. For pie filling and crust, preheat oven to 350 F. In skillet over medium-high heat, sauté carrots in olive oil until barely tender. Add onions; sauté 1 to 2 minutes longer.
2. Stir in meat and season with black pepper and thyme. Cook until browned. Drain fat from pan.
3. Stir in butter and peas. Sprinkle with flour and stir thoroughly. Add tomato paste, wine and Worcestershire sauce; stir well. Cook until slightly reduced; stir in beef stock. Allow mixture to reduce until it results in a thick, meaty gravy. Season with salt to taste. Let cool.
4. To assemble, roll out pie dough to approximately ⅛-inch thick. Cut into 3- by 5-in.
rectangles. Spoon 2 to 3 ounces meat mixture into middle of one rectangle. Brush another rectangle with beaten eggs, and place on top of filling, crimping dough together around edges with a fork to seal. Continue with remaining rectangles until all the filling is used.
5. For glaze, in bowl, beat butter and eggs until blended. Brush finished tarts with glaze and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
6. Meanwhile, prepare mashed potatoes. In large bowl, combine cooked potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. Mash until blended. Slowly add milk and mash until creamy.
7. To serve raise oven temperatures to 400 F. Pipe mashed potatoes on top of tarts and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until potatoes are nicely browned.
Photo courtesy of Idaho Potato Commission