This recipe was a bit of an experiment. I had some stewing lamb in the fridge that needed eating but didn’t fancy regular lamb stew so wondered what shepherd’s pie made with stewing lamb rather than mince would taste like. It turned out rather tasty!

I used a pyrex dish to do the oven bit for no other reason than my metal casserole dish is big enough for stew to feed half the street.

Serves: In theory 4 in practice two very hungry people

Ingredients: All measurements are approximate.

For stew

• 1 packet of stewing lamb
• Half a big onion
• 1 huge carrot
• A big load of peas
• A big dollop of tomato puree
• A beef stock pot
• A good bit of Worcester Sauce
• Water
• Plain flour

For mash

• 5 potatoes
• 15-30mls of cream
• A hunk of butter
• Salt

 Method

1. Put the oven on at about 160°C
2. Chop a carrot into bite-sized chunks.
3. Chop half a big onion into smallish bits. Fry in a glug of oil in a frying pan.
4. Add a regular packet of stewing lamb and brown on all sides.
5. Transfer the onions and lamb into your pyrex dish.
6. Dollop around about a tablespoon of tomato puree, a beef stock pot jelly thing and some Worcester sauce. I have no idea how much Worcester sauce – I just keep shaking the bottle at the dish until I get a bit bored. This makes for a tangy sauce – you might wan to lower your boredom threshold. Add some water.
7. Add the carrots.
8. Stick in the oven. Leave it to do its thing.
9. Look at it after and hour and complain that you’ve added too much water.
10. Look at it after another 30 minutes and complain that you’ve added too much water
11. After another half an hour take some of the liquid out and mix it with a tablespoon of flour to make a smooth paste. Add it back to the stew and keep your fingers crossed.
12. Peel, chop and boil your spuds.
13. When the spuds are almost finished add a load of peas to the stew and return to the oven.
14. Mash the spuds with coronary inducing amounts of butter, salt and cream. I beat them with a spoon after mashing to get them extra smooth.
15. Carefully put a layer of mash on top of the stew and make a pretty pattern with a fork on top.
16. Turn the oven to grill and pop it under until the potato browns.
17. Eat from a bowl while wrapped up under a blanket and try to ignore how many calories you have just consumed.

One very blurry photo of food – I probably should have put my glasses on to take the photo so I would know how blurry it was!