Casseroles used to be sexy, said Irene Sax in Saveur. Back in the 1950s, many American home cooks, including me, made special casseroles to impress guests. At parties, we sipped Rob Roys, smoked Pall Malls, and nibbled on deviled eggs. “When I finally carried the shepherd’s pie to the table, all steamy and crusty, and served it with garlic bread, a green salad,
and glasses of Gallo wine, I knew that we were living the good life.”
Today casseroles are as dated as the Guatemalan dress I wore as a hostess gown. But, if no longer chic, they remain a delicious, dependable, and quintessentially American food. Recipes for casseroles first began to appear in cookbooks during World War I, became even more popular during the food shortages of the Depression and World War II, and in the following
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decade achieved iconic status. Now it’s time to “take another look.” Skip the jug wine and cigarettes, pop the champagne, and serve up this delicious shepherd’s pie on a wintry day. Don’t forget a loaf of crusty bread and the green salad.
Recipe of the week
Shepherd’s Pie
14 tbsp butter
2 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and quartered
1/2 cup half-and-half
Melt 2 tbsp butter in large pot over high heat. Add 1/3 of lamb and
brown on all sides, 4–5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to plate, leaving fat in pot. Repeat process 2 more times, using 2 tbsp butter and 1/3 lamb for each batch. Add leeks and carrots to pot, reduce heat to medium, cook until softened, scraping up any browned bits, 3–4 minutes.
Return lamb and juices to pot along with flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Whisk in stock, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to
boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until lamb is
tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 35–40 minutes more. Remove from heat, stir in peas, set aside.
Meanwhile, put potatoes into large pot, cover with salted water, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer until tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain, transfer potatoes to bowl. Add 6 tbsp butter, half-and-half, and salt and pepper to taste; mash smooth with potato masher. Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Transfer lamb mixture to 2-quart casserole dish. Top evenly with mashed potatoes, making swirls and whorls with back of spoon. Cut remaining butter into small cubes; scatter over potatoes. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
