Classic Lamb Shepherd's Pie

Steps

1. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and add a big pinch of salt.
2. Bring to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   , then

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   until a fork slides in easily.
   ⏱ Boil potatoes: 15 min
3. Heat the oven to 400°F.
   400°F
4. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the pot. Mash with the butter, warm milk and 1 tsp salt until smooth, then stir in the egg yolk.
5. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened.
   ⏱ Soften veg: 6 min
6. Add the lamb, turn the heat to medium-high and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.
7. Cook until no pink remains and the lamb reaches 160°F (71°C). Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
   160°F⏱ Brown lamb: 7 min
8. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant.
   ⏱ Tomato paste: 1 min
9. Stir the cornstarch into the broth, then pour it into the skillet with the Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
10. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the gravy thickens.
    ⏱ Simmer: 5 min
11. Stir in the frozen peas and take the pan off the heat. If your skillet isn't oven-safe, spread the filling in a 9x13 dish.
12. Spoon the potatoes over the filling and spread them to the edges to seal. Rough up the top with a fork so it

    browns (how to brown)

    Brown Cook food in a hot pan until its surface turns brown, which adds rich, roasted flavor. 1. Pat the food dry; for ground meat, let the pan get hot first.2. Add a little oil and spread the food in one layer.3. Leave it alone for a few minutes so the bottom browns, then turn or break it up.4. Work in batches if it won't fit in one layer.5. Pour off extra fat if the recipe says to. Done when: Most surfaces are brown, not gray, and the bottom of the pan has browned bits (they are flavor, not burn). Safety: Hot oil spatters: dry the food first, lay it in the pan moving away from you, and keep a lid nearby. Never put water on an oil fire; slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Browned outside doesn't mean cooked inside: ground beef needs 160°F, poultry 165°F.How to brown meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

    in ridges.
13. Set the skillet on a sheet pan to catch drips.
14. Bake until the top is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
    400°F⏱ Bake: 25 min
15. Let it

    rest (how to rest)

    Rest Leave cooked meat, baked goods or dough alone for a while before you cut, slice or shape it. 1. Move meat to a board or plate as soon as it is done (a few degrees shy of target for big roasts; it keeps rising).2. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cool.3. Rest steaks and chops 5 minutes, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.4. For dough, cover it so it doesn't dry out while it relaxes. Done when: Meat juices stay in when you slice; dough rolls out without springing back. Safety: Rest at room temperature for under an hour, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.How to rest meat and dough: mistakes to avoid

    before serving so the filling settles.
    ⏱ Rest: 10 min

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Tips

• Shepherd's pie is made with lamb; the beef version is usually called cottage pie.
• For a darker top, broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes and watch closely.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F until hot in the center (165°F). Freeze up to 3 months.

Make ahead

Assemble, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake from cold for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cook once, eat twice: Double it (12 servings instead of 6), eat half and freeze the other half. It keeps 3 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: carrots (September to March), potatoes (August to November).