Shepard's Pie.

Being the eve of St. Patrick, and since the wife and I disagree on which is the better St. Paddy's dinner. Tonight will be Shepard's Pie (my favorite) and tomorrow will be Corned beef (hers).

Shepard's Pie.
Start with 2-3 pounds of grass fed lamb/beef.. mostly lamb (either cubed, or coarsely ground). Browned in a skillet (glob of butter, pinch of salt).
Remove the meat, and brown: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1-2 leeks all diced fine (more salt) in the remaining fat.
Put the meat back in, and add 1 can of Murphy's stout some dried rosemary, thyme, and 2 bay leaves. if you like garlic, it wouldn't hurt. If you like peas add some at the end (just before the top goes on). Just don't go putting tomatoes in... it's not right.
Stick in a 300 degree oven, and prepare your Colcannon: 2-3 boiled potatoes (skin on, off.. whatever suits you) 1 bunch of watercress leaves (or kale if you can't find it), butter, cream, salt to taste. add 1 egg to the colcannon and pull out the skillet with the meat and veg in it.
If the stew is too runny (it shouldn't be.. but it could) stir in 1 spoon full of the potatoes to thicken, ideally enough of the stout will have cooked out that it'll be pretty thick on it's own.
Carefully (the pan is hot.. it came from the oven, remember) spread the potatoes from the middle out to the edges. Put back in the oven and bake till the top starts to brown, and has some structure to it.
Eat it.

I should mention that you should never cook a dish like this in a non-stick skillet. They do not like the oven, and should never be used in slow stewing applications.. ever! So it's cast iron, ceramic (stove top safe) or bare metal pans only.

Tomorrow: "Irish proverbs for the fit paddy, or things my grandmother used to say, and how they apply to the gym."

Mahalo.