One of the things few people know about me, is that aside from enjoying meals, I also find great pleasure in making them. Cooking, I believe, is what makes a dining experience that much more special. Today, since there was an abundance of raw ingredients at home, I decided to whip up a Shepherd’s Pie.

It’s not that hard to make, and I figured anyone with some basic common sense around the kitchen can handle this easily enough.

The first step is to prepare the necessary items. Make sure you have all these before you proceed;

• 400-500g of minced meat
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• Half a bulb of garlic, crushed
• 2cm of ginger, crushed
• Oyster sauce
• Tomato puree [tomato ketchup or whole tomatoes can also be used]
• Salt, pepper, and whatever herbs and spice of your choice.
• Cheese, ground or sliced [any type of cheese is alright, preferably cheddar or mozarella]
• 3 potatoes, boiled and mashed
• Butter/Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Cooking oil.

Now, you must understand that a shepherd’s pie is made of two layers - the meat and the topping. First we prepare the meat layer.

1. Heat up a few tablespoons of cooking oil on a nice wok, and sauté the shallots.
2. Once the shallots have become translucent and fragrant, add in ginger and garlic. Stir it around for a few more seconds.
3. Add in the minced meat. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add in some cubed mushrooms [yummeh] and/or boiled carrot slices.
4. Stir fry it for a few more seconds, and add in generous amounts of oyster sauce.
5. Stir fry it for a few more seconds, and add in peppers and your choice of herbs and spices. I added some tarragon leaves and oregano powder.
6. Stir fry it for a few more seconds, and add in tomato puree [or its substitutes].
7. Stir fry it for a few more seconds, and turn off the heat.

By now, your meat layer should be nice, fragrant and flavorful. Spread it out in your pie dish, and cover it with a skin of cheese. Here I used cheddar slices.

Making the topping is a lot easier. First, preheat your oven to about 200°C. Then, make some mashed potatoes, and spread it on top of the cheese layer. If you’re too much of a doofus to not know how to make some, go and learn. NEVER USE THE INSTANT ONES. It’s too creamy and lacks the rich texture of a proper handmade mash.

After that, if you want, take a fork, and carve in some lines to give the topping some texture. Like so;

And pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, turn it around to make sure it’s evenly baked on both sides. By then, you should have a nice, crisp golden brown crust. Take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.

Take a slice, and serve it with some baked beans and a dollop of mayonnaise.
This size serves two persons. :D

For more cooking tips and ideas, you can read them here. :D