By Laura Rancie.
Ever wondered the difference between Shepherd's Pie and a Cottage Pie?
It’s simple - Cottage Pie is made with beef and Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. Although I do believe that these days the two are interchangeable and looking back I have only ever made Shepherd's Pie with beef. Remember it this way – sheep are tended by shepherds, hence Shepherd's Pie uses lamb.
What about you? Which meat would you typically use in yours and do you say Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie?
What constitutes a really, really good Shepherd's Pie?
It comes down to basics and nothing is more simple than a good soffrito. That moment when your garlic and onion are slowly sautéed on a very gentle heat with carrots and celery to seduce you with the rising aromatic scent of vegetables cooking in olive oil or butter.
You would also use the soffrito method for a risotto or a flavoursome ragù Bolognese.
History of the infamous Shepherd's Pie:
It goes back to Irish roots, actually. However, past that much, we are not sure. There isn’t a person, specific town or any circumstance that can claim the first. What we can work out is that the humble Cottage Pie made from lamb and potatoes, probably originated from somewhere in the United Kingdom when peasants who lived in cottages, would cook with potatoes given they were an affordable produce, especially for the poor.
Then, after making a roast or meat dish, to be able to fully use all the leftovers and have no waste, they would throw in the meat scraps and mash up potatoes as a hearty crust. This would explain the ‘cottage’ pie, eaten by impoverished Irish peasants living in cottages – the precursor to Shepherd’s Pie.
The Aussie Take:
As for our Aussie claim to pie, Matt Preston swears his Shepherd’s Pie to be next level by the addition of vegemite and calls it the Jackaroo pie and Matt Moran uses an entire boneless lamb neck instead of minced meat with the addition of rosemary, tarragon and healthy doses of port, red wine and cream. These variations aside, I believe that what truly makes our versions so Australian, is the smothering of tomato sauce – an act so Aussie in itself, that perhaps a bottle of Heinz tomato sauce should appear on our coat of arms.
Speaking of which, the Coat of Arms Pie is the actual name for our Australian rendition. This version of a Shepherd’s Pie is made from native Australian ingredients like kangaroo and emu leg meat (hence the name, coat of arms). We share with you Aunty Dale Chapman’s recipe, with bunya nuts and a native spices mix made from lemon myrtle, bush tomatoes and ironbark leaves.
There are lots of variations out there and so for the true home cook, we invite you to make your own version - if you dare!
