My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 2 seconds. If not, visit
http://chezsasha.wordpress.com
and update your bookmarks.

Pages

December 2, 2009

Turkey Shepherd Pie

December is here again. On one hand I’m sad because yet another year has flown by. But on the other I’m happy! December is one of my favorite months. I get to celebrate my birthday, Christmas and New Year’s. NYC is the loveliest, jazz sounds the best, the first snows come down, the fall semester finally ends and cookies are in abundance everywhere during this magical month. What’s not to love?


Enough banter – let’s get to the food. Shepherd pie has always fascinated me. I’ve never tried/cooked it before but heard about it and it’s been on ‘the list’ for a while. I decided to make it for tonight’s dinner. I wasn’t feeling the mashed potato component though and decided a crispy texture on top would be more fitting. I looked at a few recipes of fellow bloggers and on the internet and concocted my own.

This dish came out amazing! The meat was so flavorful and the potatoes’ crispness did exactly what I’d hoped they would. The aroma that filled the house was incredible. And my family was impressed.


(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp poultry seasoning

A few pinches of cayenne pepper

¼ c dry red wine

1 tsp spicy brown mustard

½ c chicken/turkey broth

½ c canned peas, drained and rinsed

4 small russet potatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt/coarsely ground pepper


Preheat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic, with a bit of salt, to the skillet and sauté about 5 min. Add the turkey, poultry seasoning, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Sauté the meat, breaking it up with a spatula, 10-12 min. Then add the wine and simmer another 10 min, for the alcohol to evaporate. Then add the mustard and stock and simmer another 12 min.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400F. Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice thinly and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

When the meat is done simmering, add the peas and taste for seasoning.

Then transfer it into a baking dish of your choice and top with the sliced potatoes in a somewhat uniform pattern.

Place in the oven and cook for 40 min, or until the potatoes are cooked through.


*I recommend serving this with some shredded cheese and/or sour cream.


8 comments:

Sofya said...

oh my god delicious!

Karine said...

That is a great variation of the shepard's pie I am used to :)

George Gaston said...

Sasha, I like your creative twist with the potatoes. I bet it added a unique texture, as well as taste. I'll have to try it that way next time I make my #1 comfort food.

Oh, to be in New York City again during the holiday season ! it is truly a magical place indeed!

Chef Fresco said...

I used to dread the cooler months, but now December is too one of my favorites. I love all of the holiday spirit! This pie looks delicious!

Lyndas recipe box said...

I like the idea of your crispy topping! A great version of an old classic.
My birthday is in December too!

Pam said...

Mmmmm - comfort food. It looks delicious.

debra@dustjacket said...

What a great variation on the regular shepherds pie. Good job, will try this.
xxx

BumbleVee said...

hey... this looks interesting Shasa .... I love Shepherd's pie. I always do the mashed potatoes... but do bake it til the top is browned.. and then sometimes even adda bit of parmesan and broil for a bit more...

if you add an egg to the mashed...it seems to brown better I think... either way it is yummy.... I have to say I've never used turkey before either...what a sheltered life I live ... .hahahhah .... that does it. Breaking out of the box for my next one..!