rick stein's shepherd's pie, as cooked in India

Today is not my greatest day by quite some measure.

We're late up, I'm late going shopping with Milo which makes him late for ballet practise and me late for rugby. In fact I'm only just in time for kick-off against Esher Vets, whereupon I'm pretty much late for all my tackling appointments, only just making it on time to be hit repeatedly hard by this chap breaking off the back of the scrum. Luckily for us all Tracy Chapman was so late she didn't appear at all, otherwise that would've been really annoying as there's nothing worse than being slowly pummeled to the acoustic strains of Cleveland's biggest export.

Naturally I'm late home, but this time I'm forearmed and manage to scoff some chicken casserole before I go, leaving much full-enough to contemplate creating the glory that is Rick Stein's Shepherd's Pie as cooked in India:

Not only is it full of a rich, juicy and tangy lamb-filling (not forgetting the top tip of draining the fat off the meat halfway through), I also go slightly off-menu and make kale mash to up the veg quotient. And the best part is not only is there loads to go in the freezer, nobody notices the finely sliced, much-disputed brassica - winner!

I really must try one of his fish dishes at some point.

sources
shepherd's pie as cooked in India - Rick Stein, Delicious circa 2005 and now in the Skull Recipe book

tesco finest cottage pie

Can you tell I didn't cook tonight? Admittedly I made a cheese and tomato sandwich (on white bread - you can tell Ana isn't here can't you?) whilst it was "cooking", but it's as far as my culinary whims are stretching tonight.

Basically today started awfully as I copped a flat on the way to work, and then got appreciably worse as I then had to detour via the office before heading out the London's Trendy Shoreditch 40 minutes later than planned. However, it all picked up from there: I had an ace meeting about tentage for next weekend's Vintage festival at the Southbank (you're all invited - come on down!) followed by coffee with Greggy in Liverpool Street, and then drinkies with various SeeSaw legacy co-colleagues *and* (briefly) Miss Sasha Breslau of ITV fame.

Who would want to cook after that? Exactly!

sources
Tesco Finest Shepherd's Pie - Terry Tesco's, Hammersmith Broadway

sheperd's pie at my mums

No pictures today, but that's more because Milo and I spent a brilliant day at my mum's. And I forgot the camera.

With a whole day of Ana trying to research the Ancient Greeks for school looming (which is odd as we actually met in an Ancient Greek lecture at University...), and after the by-now-traditional pancake breakfast, we head down to the Folkestone for a day's Nannying.

Mum's on top form and Milo has a great time. We spend an hour up the rugby club eating crisps and running around the balcony, have cheese sandwiches for lunch whilst playing with the huge collection of Playmen (a collection consisting of mine and my brother's toys, and Dylan's recent additions) in the attic, before watching Ice Age on TV and eating a Babs Cabs shepherd's pie special.

Even better, I also managed to rescue the presents we managed to leave behind at Christmas, which means I can finally reveal this year's Culinary Christmas Crackers:

A gravy separating jug from my mum, River Cottage Family Cookbook, an apron, a variety of garlic relishes from the Garlic Farm, IoW Tomato Ketchup (which is divine btw) and an amazing garlic chopper (the green thing) from Kay and Mike, as well as a selection of silicon implements from Ana. An excellent haul!

The only downer on the day was by the time we get home, Ana's starving and has to make do with some toast as we'd already eaten at my mums...

milo and ana's jam buttons & rick's shepherd's pie

What with learning to drive in the mornings, disappearing off to play rugby in the afternoon as well last year would've taken some serious negotiation. However, now I'm the primary driver in this house, things are a little easier, but some things have definitely changed at home.

Whilst I'm losing 40-48 to Rossyln Park, the kitchen gets a new Saturday afternoon visitor:


Is there anything better than to come home from a hearty game of rugby and find a selection of tasty biscuits waiting to be eaten? And Bill Granger's Jam Buttons ala Ana and Milo are pretty darned tasty. I do have to play about 3 hours worth of "total wipeout" when I get home though, so it's not all a bed of rugby roses...

It's just a shame I couldn't step up to the mark later that night, instead slumping in front of a Midsomer repeat on ITV3, under the duvet with several large glasses of vin rouge and an even larger helping of frozen Rick Stein shepherd's pie.


Food of the Milos
The usual fruit and waffle-based breakfast is supplemented during our trip around Richmond Sainsbury's (we used up our pot of change) but a punnet of Tomberries, a smoothie, half a packet of grapes and some rice cakes. For dinner we knocked up some no-stir tomato risotto.

sources
shepherd's pie as cooked in india - Rick Stein, Delicious circa 2005 and now in the Skull Recipe book
jam buttons - Bill Granger, Simply Bill, p96

shepherd's pie as cooked in india

Having been gazumped by Jude on Saturday, I finally get around to cooking Rick Stein's Shepherd's Pie as Cooked in India tonight.

It's not a bad call to be honest, because although it is a lovely, balmy September day there is a definite whiff of Autumn in the air once the sun goes down. Also, given it's Bobble Hat Blitz tonight, it's the perfect dish: It takes about an hour to make, so whilst Ana is running around an astroturf in Chiswick, it's stewing away waiting for her to come back.

Naturally our Shepherd's Pie recipe of choice is Saint Hugh's, so we're going out on a limb with Rick's currified version. It certainly looked yellower than we're used to.


Actually it's pretty good, a really tasty variation on a classic. The turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and tamarind aren't as overpowering as you'd think, although the colour is slightly off-putting. Particularly as the picture of the finished dish looks much more normal.

However Rick does have a top tip which I'll certainly be re-using, namely draining the browned lamb halfway through the recipe. Even though we were using extra-lean lamb, you would not believe the amount of fat which came out of it...

Food of the Milos
It being Monday, and having suffered another broken night we're all knackered today so it's the usual fruit-waffle breakfast before spending the morning at Nursery. Energy levels are raised with a boiled egg and soldiers, before a hearty dinner of fishcakes and spaghetti hoops.

sources
shepherd's pie as cooked in india - Rick Stein, Delicious circa 2005 and now in the Skull Recipe book

shepherd's pie & venison

No, not the promised-but-yet-appear Shepherd's Pie as cooked in India care of Mr Rick Stein, but Shepherd's Pie as cooked in Wandsworth Common care of Mrs Jude Judy Judith Hawes. And yes, that's actual deer, as shot in Northampton by Mr Pat Hawes Esquire, together on the same plate, at the same time!

Yes yes, times are a-changing this weekend as the usual Saturday fandango gets realigned to accommodate the beginning of the rugby season. The most immediate and obvious change is the fact we've moved onto eating two evening meals a night now.

Kinda. Tonight we're out visiting the delightful Hawes', who's very marvellousness goes up a notch when it's revealed not only is there Shepherd's Pie, red cabbage and peas for dinner, there's also fillet of deer with boulangerie potatoes. Even better, it's not an either/or choice - and that's a situation we both embrace.

The pie was particularly delicious, rich and moist with a lovely slightly-crispy potato topping, but more surprising was the deer. Ana's never had it, and I've only had really really irony venison in a restaurant in Exeter so initially we were only being polite. However it was beautiful. Not too strong, tender and really hearty. I think by dint of fact we both had seconds of the venison, we may become converts to the Game erm game.

Obviously realising having only two main meals might leave us a bit peckish, Jude followed it up with a mango and raspberry pav, and some chocolate muffins whilst Pat had to retire to digest. Two dinners a night, I definitely recommend it.

Although thinking back, given I had three portions of pie and two venison steaks, that would make five dinners a night. Good job it's the rugby season...

more visiting

Why just visit on Saturday, when you also visit on Sunday? After a morning shopping, we get the beastie's hair cut ready for Joe's 1st Birthday party that afternoon.

As a little warm up we have breakfast together (porridge and crumpets), and a smackerel of boiled eggs and soldiers for lunch, before heading to Zoe's for a massive party blowout.

Zoe does not let us down. After bowls of crisps, cheese sticks, mini-sandwiches, jelly frogs, and milky way stars I've saved just enough room for a massive plate of cottage pie with cheesy mash. It's bliss, one of the best I've ever had. So good in fact we take a freezer box home for dinner tonight. God honestly, it was a-may-zing! Mary Berry apparently - never heard of her but I'm stealing this recipe...



Food of the Milos
see above - crisps mainly, and jelly frogs, some boiled egg and loads of cottage pie.

shepherd's pie & cauliflower cheese

sources
shepherd's pie - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Meat Book, p504
cauliflower cheese - Annabel Karmel, New Complete Baby Toddler Meal, p54

shepherd's pie

So no autumn then, just direct to winter and skip the nice harvest weather? With the flood lapping at the door and the anas wrapped up in fifteen red blankets we put the diet on hold and break out some hearty fayre from the freezer.

*Slightly Mangled* doesn't cover the half-of it. I'd forgotten I was slightly wobbly when I made this, and it's not clear where the shepherd begins and the pie ends. On the positive side, it hasn't affected the flavour and having hoiked some out for the milos tea tomorrow, there's only two smallish portions for us so it is kinda diet friendly.

Food of the Milos
After last night's pasta nightmare we give him spaghetti bolognaise, which goes down much better. He's also back at Julia's as the anas have returned to work, so he's pretty much spent the day eating.

sources
shepherd's pie - Saint Hugh of Whittingstall, River Cottage Meat Book, p504

shepherd's pie

Another lonely day on my own, with no friends, whilst my precious family are living the high life on Vectis.

Whilst they are being carted around on golden platters by genuflecting locals, I decide to double the freezer intake with a hearty Shepherd's Pie. It's a winner on three counts; it's cold, it gives me time to practise for my mock driving test whilst it's bubbling away, and the milos love it.

Two hours later things have gone slightly awry. Although I've passed my mock theory test *and* won the theory test quiz, I'm also a bit-to-very squiffy. I've also eaten four platefuls of pie, and presentation always at a premium, stuffed the rest into a box for the freezer.

sources
shepherd's pie - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Meat Book, p504

shepherd's pie

Three things happen tonight which determine tonight's feast: The ongoing challenge to move the milos diet away from just pasta, it's chucking it down when I cycle home so I want something hearty and warming and finally, the anas are out. AGAIN!

So whilst she's lording it up at Kate's with some pea and mint cold soup, pork with rhubarb sauce, and blueberry tart, (oh and cheese), I'm suffering at home in the cold. This calls for drastic action, and only two manly men can help me.

St Hugh steps up to the plate with his most excellent shepherd's pie recipe, and whilst that's baking away in the oven, Colonel Richard Sharpe kicks arse in India. It goes so well in fact, I eat three-quarters of the pie leaving the milos only enough for dinner tomorrow and one smallish portion in the freezer. In doing so we now go into tupperware crisis as we've now got a small pile of assorted lids, but no actual pots left. How does that work?

Food of the Milos
If you make it, he will come. And eat. At least if it's last night's spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce. His graze and chipped tooth must be playing on his mind though, because he still doesn't like me. He must be gay.

sources
shepherd's pie - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Meat Book, p504
sharpe's challenge - sean bean and bernard cornwall.

experimental shepherd's pie

Only experimental in the sense I had a load of squash leftover from the pearl barley casserole, so I added that to bulk up Saint Hugh's most excellent method of using left-over roast lamb.


Usually I cook it with mince but it definitely, genuinely tastes much much nicer with the left-overs.