Hachis Parmentier or a Version of French Sheperd’s Pie

A mild, herby casserole with meat, mashed potatoes and vegetables. A dish whose variations are well known in both France, England and Ireland.

For three hungry persons you’ll need 500g of minced lamb’s meat, 1 onion, 1 large carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tomatoes, 2-3 tbsps of both fresh thyme and rosemary (Herbes de Provence is often used, but we winged it), 2 egg yolks, salt and black pepper. Roughly 2 dl of grated cheddar for the gratin.

For the mashed potatoes you’ll need 4-5 large potatoes. Use enough to get a 50/50 proportion between meat and vegetables and mashed potatoes. 3 tbsps butter, a pinch or two of nutmeg, milk, salt and pepper.

Start by peeling and boiling the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, herbs and tomatoes.

When the potatoes are soft, drain the water and add the butter, nutmeg, a little milk, salt and pepper. Mash them using the device of your choice, slowly adding milk as you go. Go for a consistency that’s fluffy but not runny.

Heat the oven to 190 °C.

Then heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions. After a while add the garlic and cook until both are softened. Add the meat and fry until browned. Add the carrot, celery and tomatoes and sauté. After a while add the chopped herbs, salt and pepper and let simmer. There’s a certain time window of heating herbs until they reach optimum taste. After that they fade slightly, so take that into account, especially when using fresh herbs.

When the vegetables are soft, remove from the heat and add the egg yolks, stirring them into the pan.

Check the level of salt, pepper and herbs and add as needed.

Lightly grease a pan with butter and place the meat and vegetables as the first layer. Add the mashed potatoes in a second layer and top with grated cheese.

Place the pan into the oven and heat for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and browned.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

List of ingredients

Ground lamb’s meat
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Celery
Tomatoes
Fresh (or dried) rosemary
Fresh (or dried) thyme
Egg yolks
Potatoes
Butter
Milk
Nutmeg
Cheddar (or Gruyère)
Salt
Black Pepper

So, what is the difference between Hachis Parmentier and Sheperd’s Pie?
Not that much, really. The French version seems to favour herbs and might include egg yolks. It’s also usually based on beef like the Cottage Pie, but this recipe uses lamb which makes it closer to a Sheperd’s Pie. The Sheperd’s Pie often includes Worcestershire sauce and peas. Basically all versions involve taking what meat and vegetables you have and creating a casserole with mashed potatoes and cheese. Feel free to experiment with various spices and ingredients.

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