Shepherd's Pie with Rutabaga Topping
Ingredients:
- 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for rutabagas and potatoes
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck or leg of lamb for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium canned beef stock
- 4 carrots, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 rutabagas (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces
- 4 russet or Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1/2 cup of hot milk, or more if needed
Preparation:
- Tie celery, rosemary sprig, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside.
- Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot.
- Melt butter, and brown meat in two batches, taking care not to crowd the pieces or they will steam and not brown; transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onions; cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes.
- Return meat to pan and sprinkle flour over the meat and onions, cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.
- Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid after 1 hour; add carrots, and cook, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place rutabagas and potatoes in separate saucepans; cover with cold, salted water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes for the rutabagas and 25 minutes for the potatoes.
- Drain; return to the saucepans to dry out any moisture from the vegetables for a few minutes.
- Put the rutabagas and potatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or ricer, or mash by hand.
- Add butter, as desired, and enough hot milk to make a creamy puree. Season with salt and pepper; stir in chopped rosemary.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove bouquet garni; transfer stew into a deep 2-quart baking dish.
- Top with puree; dot lightly with butter.
- Bake 1 hour, or until top is brown and crusty. Serve hot.
Source: http://www.marthastewart.com
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