Exploring Shepherd's Pie for St. Paddy's Day!

March is certainly coming “in like a lion” for many of us in the Northeast. My laptop is registering 26 degrees today, and we’ve been falling into the teens for most of the first week of the month. Comfort food is still on my mind, and helps take off the chill, to be certain. March is green not only for Spring a few weeks away, but St. Patrick’s Day just before; and reminds me of many delicious Irish dishes like Guinness Stew, Colcannon, Irish Soda Bread and of course Shepherd’s Pie. WhileShepherd’s Pie is a cozy comforting dish that can be enjoyed anytime of the year, it strikes me as being somewhat “seasonal” with St. Patrick’s day around the corner. It's a dish that can be tweaked to your own desire and taste as well. 

In my research of this universally loved comfort food I learned it’s a dish that has been made for over two hundred years. First called Cottage Pie in the late 1700s, it evolved into Shepherd’s Pie by the end of the next century. The base meat ingredient can be beef or lamb, or a combination of both. All depending on who you ask, and what you prefer; but generally it's beef.

When I queried my Irish friends to give me some inspiration on the dish, all sighed and remarked of fond memories of mothers and grandmothers making it. One friend swears by a gravy powder called Bisto which can be found in the internet and at Irish grocery stores in Yonkers. The others said a good beef stock and wine was the way to go. In the final analysis I chose the latter, but did get the Bisto to give it a try for another time.

The following recipe is an adaptation from one that comes directly from a dear old Irish friend Alan Bowen, of County Cork, Ireland. We've been friends for many years. In my lively exchanges with him over email recently I asked if peas and mushrooms were something authentic from say 100 years ago? To which he replied: “There is authenticity, and there is a good plate of food … your choice!” With that I abandoned the notion of trying to capture a dish that was made 200 years ago and pressed on.

To continue reading my story and see the easy recipe click this link: Seasonal Chef Explores Shepherd's Pie. 

For more information about Chef Maria check out her website at: Bella Cucina Maria.