RECIPE: Middle Eastern Shepherd’s Pie
So you say you want my recipes? You want cook what I make my clients in your own home?
Here’s the sitch, I am a Personal Paleo Chef. Dare I even say, the OG (Personal) Paleo Chef.
That means two things, I am not a food blogger and I am not a food blogger. *raisesbrow*
In all seriousness, what that really means is that I don’t use recipes (read as: I suck at writing recipes) for the vast majority of my dishes BUT I hear you!
I HEAR YOU! The people WANT recipes!
Sooo, an ebook is forthcoming!
Meanwhile, I will be sharing a few dishes here and there that excite my clients.
Without further adieu, a recipe y’all voted for on Facebook!
A Middle Eastern version of Shepherd’s Pie. Also a client favorite! My client in Chicago flys me out JUST for this dish. Dating back to the 1700′s it was referred to “Cottage Pie” which was meant to touch upon the “Modest Home” of the working man. It was later referred to as Shepherd’s Pie due to the lamb filling, as a Shepherd herds lamb not cattle. In the good ol’ USA you’ll find the filling is ground beef, either meat filling will do but my name is Mary AND I’m part Greek so it all come back to Lamb for me! Mary had a little… You voted for me to write this recipe, now USE it!
Ingredients
3 tbsp duck fat, tallow, or ghee
2 medium onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.5-2 lbs yams, cut into quarters
1lb lamb mince
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ orange, grated zest only
2 tbsp coconut flour
8fl oz lamb stock
1 tsp raw honey
2 Eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Pre-Heat Oven to 400 Degrees
Grease A Baking Dish
For The Shepherd’s Pie Filling
Heat the fat/tallow/ghee in a large frying pan over a medium heat
Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for 8-10 minutes
Increase the heat to high and add the lamb mince, spices and orange zest
Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring to break up the mince, until the lamb is browned all over
Sprinkle in 1 tbsp coconut flour and stir in, then pour in the stock
Bring to the boil, then stir in the honey
Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reduce the heat to low-medium
Simmer for 12-15 minutes, then remove from the heat set aside to cool (It will thicken)
For The Pie
Boil the quartered yams in salted water until tender
Mash in a bowl with 1 tbsp coconut flour and 1 full egg and 1 yoke, save the white of that egg for later
Mash/Mix until thickened
Add salt & pepper to taste
In a baking dish distribute a layer of the mashed yams evenly.
Spoon in the filling
Distribute the remaining mashed yams over the top
Forking (Spooning leads to Forking!) the top layer roughly so it browns nicely
Brush the top with the saved egg white
Optional: Zest some orange over the top
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top has browned.
Eat your face off!