Shepherd's Pie

Name: Shepherd's Pie
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Europe, Great Britain
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds, 93 percent lean ground beef; 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, water; , Salt and pepper; 1/2 teaspoon, baking soda; 2 1/2 pounds, russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 4 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted; 1/2 cup, milk; 1 , large egg yolk; 8 , scallions, green parts only, sliced thin; 2 teaspoons, vegetable oil; 1 , onion, chopped; 4 ounces, white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped; 1 tablespoon, tomato paste; 2 , garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons, Madeira or ruby port; 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 cups, beef broth; 2 teaspoons, Worcestershire sauce; 2 sprigs, fresh thyme; 1 , bay leaf; 2 , carrots, peeled and chopped; 2 teaspoons, cornstarch

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated November/December 2012, America's Test Kitchen TV

Think this classic of tender meat and rich gravy topped with mashed potatoes is the ultimate comfort food? The cook who has spent 5 hours preparing it might disagree.

SERVES4 to 6

TIME2 hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

The traditional version of this dish of meat and gravy topped with mashed potatoes is time-consuming to make, and the end product is a bit heavy for modern palates. We streamlined the process by building and serving the pie in one skillet a...

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