Mary Berry's shepherd's pie dauphinois recipe

Mary Berry's shepherd's pie dauphinois recipe is comfort food at it's finest.

Unlike our classic shepherd's pie recipe, this version adds a twist to the classic shepherd’s pie with its layered topping of potato and cream instead of mash. This delicious family-sized shepherd's pie dauphinois serves 6 people and takes 1hr and 45 mins to prepare and cook. If you don't eat meat or would prefer the lower-fat version of Mary Berry's shepherd's pie dauphinois recipe use Quorn mince instead of traditional minced lamb. Turkey mince works just as well too to keep it low-fat. Mary Berry's shepherd's pie dauphinois recipe dish is best made and eaten on the same day, but leftovers can be kept and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

• 900g (2lb) raw minced lamb
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, finely diced
• 45g (1½ oz) plain flour
• 300ml (10fl oz) red wine
• 300ml (10fl oz) beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Dash of gravy browning (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 900g (2lb) old King Edward potatoes or other floury potatoes, cut into 3mm (1⁄8in) slices
• 150ml (5fl oz) double cream
• 75g (2½ oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C (140˚C fan/325˚F/Gas 3). Meanwhile, put the lamb, onions, and carrots into a deep frying pan or casserole and fry over a high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the meat is brown. Drain away any fat.
2. Stir in the flour and, over a high heat, add the wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato purée (add the gravy browning, too, if you want the sauce to be a rich dark colour). Stir until blended, then bring to the boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven for 1–11⁄2 hours or until the mince is tender.
3. Check the seasoning, then tip the meat into the ovenproof dish(es) and set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 220˚C (200˚C fan/425˚F/Gas 7).
4. Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 4–5 minutes to blanch them. Drain, refresh in cold water, and dry well with kitchen paper.
5. Arrange a layer of potato on top of the cold mince, then pour over half the cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top, pour over the remaining cream, and sprinkle over the cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes  or until golden and bubbling.

Top tips for making Mary Berry's shepherd's pie dauphinois

Mary says: "Liquid gravy browning in bottles can be rather hard to track down in the shops these days, but it’s well worth the hunt. Not only does it make a sauce or gravy an appetizing rich brown, it saves you time, too, as you don’t have to brown the onions for so long. We use it the whole time."

What are the best things to serve with shepherd's pie dauphinoise?

Because there are already potatoes on top of the pie, and vegetables inside it, this is a whole meal on its own. Still, we like to have something on the side as well. A leafy dark green veg is a good addition - kale or cavalo nero for instance. Otherwise, a nice chunky slice of bread to mop up any of the extra juices. Baked beans work well too.

How can I bulk up this shepherd's pie dauphinoise to serve more people?

Add a can of beans (not in tomato sauce) or chickpeas to the sauce for a cheap way to add an extra couple of portions and bring down the per person cost of this dish.

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