Shepherd’s pie is a basic in the kitchen, but it is possible to sublimate it with Cyril Lignac’s secret ingredient.
Winter and holiday family gatherings call for warm, comforting family meals. Between the foie gras and the Yule log, there will certainly be a little room for a simple and regressive pleasure : Shepherd’s pie, perhaps the family dish par excellence. Its concept is very simple, but it is also possible to sublimate it with a few tricks, like those of Cyril Lignac. The chef revealed his secret in one of his columns on RTL.
The first rule is quite obvious, but not to be overlooked: make a good mash. Boil your potatoes and mash them by hand with butter and milk, then whisk to aerate well. For the layer of meat, Cyril Lignac relies on a mixture of ground beef and veal, which will provide a more tender result than just beef. He adds golden onions and button mushrooms.
Parmesan cream au gratin
But it is during the final stage that the chef unsheathes his secret weapon. It is indeed customary to gratinate your shepherd’s pie with breadcrumbs or a little grated cheese. Cyril Lignac prefers to direct a parmesan cream quite tasty. Reduce the cream until it thickens a little. Add fresh parmesan and mix until smooth a consistency similar to Béchamel. Pour everything, spreading well over your shepherd’s pie and grate a little parmesan on top. Then bake the dish for four minutes at 240 degrees.
The recipe allows for a few variations. You can thus brown your onions, meat and mushrooms in the pan at first, or grill everything in the oven for the first time before adding the mashed potatoes. It is also possible to add crushed tomatoes and a little white wine. Note that it is better to cook your potatoes with the skin on, to prevent them from becoming waterlogged.