SERVES 4

A traditional shepherd’s pie with a little bit of pickle to enhance the flavour of the mince. This freezes well – allow 10-15 minutes more if cooking from frozen.

500g lean minced lamb
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion and 1 carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml red wine
350ml chicken stock
1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Leaves from a handful of thyme sprigs
Leaves from a sprig of rosemary, chopped
2½ tbsp Branston Small Chunk Pickle

For the potato topping
600g Desirée potatoes, cut into chunks
50g butter
30ml hot milk
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
2 large egg yolks
Freshly ground black pepper

1 Put a wide cast-iron or other heavy-based pan over a moderate-to-high heat. Season the lamb mince with salt and pepper and fry in a thin layer of oil for 10 minutes until evenly browned. Do it in 2 batches if your pan is not wide enough to brown it in one go. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

2 Add a little more olive oil to the pan and stir in the onion, carrot and garlic. Fry for another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are golden brown. Add the flour and tomato purée and stir frequently for another couple of minutes. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge the browned sediment. Let the wine boil until it has almost all reduced and the pan is quite dry.

3 Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return the mince to the pan and add the Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and partially cover the pan. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened.

4 Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender when pierced with a small knife. Drain well, then return them briefly to the hot pan over a low heat to dry out. Press them through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Mix in the butter, hot milk and 2 tablespoons of the parmesan. Season well to taste, then beat in the egg yolks and set aside.

5 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Fold the Branston pickle through the mince mixture and spoon into a 2-litre ovenproof dish. Using a large spoon, layer the mashed potato generously on top of the mince, starting from the outside and working your way into the middle. Fluff up with a fork to make rough peaks. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and grind over a little black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling round the sides. Serve with extra pickle on the side if you wish.

Recipe taken from Cooking for Friends, published by HarperCollins on September 15. Text © Gordon Ramsay 2008

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