Darina Allen's Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

Respectfully disagree. Shepherd's pie is made with whatever comes to the shepherd's hand. In ye olden days that may well have been only lamb -- but just the other day I made a first-rate shepherd's pie with meat from braised ox-tail. Why not duck?

Don't discard delicious duck skin. Cut it into strips and fry it til crispy. It could be sprinkled atop the pie or added to a salad... great stuff.

I once worked as a duck shepherd, and boy, did we make pie! I'm going to top this one with ginger/spring onion flavored mashed jersey white sweet potatoes.

Can something like this work well with chicken thighs?Yes, it tastes great.Cook chicken thighs atop stove. Cook mirepoix in rendered chicken fat in pan. Make a stock from the chicken bones and chicken skin. Boil potatoes separately. Blend half the stock with the cooked mirepoix, add chicken and a roux. Use the rest of the stock to make the mashed potatoes. Cover the chicken in the sauce with the mashed potatoes and bake.Eat.

If you are lucky enough to be in Paris, have lunch at La Cuisine de Philippe on rue Servandoni on the Left Bank where they serve an amazing version of this dish, minus the parsnips (you won't miss them) and with extraordinary shredded duck legs. They also specialize in souffles but that's something else. Philippe's duck shepard's pie is worth the journey, although I'm delighted to have this recipe to make it myself (also minus the parsnips).

Since childhood, I've had an inexplicable aversion to parsnips (there's something ambiguous - sweetish and "off" - about them. So I made this dish combining the potatoes with mashed cauliflower (adding thyme and ground nutmeg). Excellent results.

Sheperds pie is usually made with lamb but what defines it is not the meat but the topping. Fluffy mash potato to look like lambs fleece and cottage pie is also defined,not by the meat but, by the topping. Sliced potatoes to look like cottage roof tiles.

My understanding is that, yes, shepherd's pie is made with lamb. However, cottage pie is made with beef. If that is true, making this dish with duck should give the cook the freedom to call it what he or she wants!

I cannot speak for other locations, but in the USA if it is a meat pie with a mashed potato crust, it is called Shepherd's Pie. In practice is almost always made with beef.

Doesn't a shepherd by definition herd sheep? as opposed to cowherds who herd cows? Never heard of a duckherd, though.How well would the recipe work with chicken or turkey?

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but would like to. I do, however, have to weigh in on behalf of my British-born wife who has noted many times (to me, and I now share with the NYT community) that the term "Shepherd's Pie" got its name from shepherds, you know, ones who tend sheep. In other words, Shepherd's Pie is, by definition, made with lamb. Otherwise, it's Cottage Pie. Anyway, looking forward to trying the recipe for a pie made from the cottage's ducks.

BigGuy 4 months ago Can something like this work well with chicken thighs?Yes, it tastes great.Cook chicken thighs atop stove. Cook mirepoix in rendered chicken fat in pan. Make a stock from the chicken bones and chicken skin. Boil potatoes separately. Blend half the stock with the cooked mirepoix, add chicken and a roux. Use the rest of the stock to make the mashed potatoes. Cover the chicken in the sauce with the mashed potatoes and bake.

Cook the parsnips separately in milk. Add parsnips and cooking liquid to the mash. Cooking in milk renders the parsnips nicely sweet.

Excellent! I cooked the duck on the stove for 20 min., a la Melissa Clark's confit recipe, before braising in the oven, and added a turnip to the topping.

What am I supposed to do with the 3rd cup of braising liquid, diced onions, celery and carrot?

No duck so we used chicken. This dish got 5 stars from the whole family.

No lamb in a shepherd’s pie? Darina Allen, this is definitely a cottage pie, especially if you put fowl in it. I made it with chicken (because duck doesn’t like me as much as I like it) but I knew I was making cottage pie.

I used chicken thighs. I would not even guess where i could get duck. I also left out the allspice. Everything fell together fine but i wished there was more filling and that it did not merger with the topping, white on white, on the plate. Otherwise, easy to make but a lot of pots. No one was terribly enthusiastic. I think a pastry crust might be more effective.

So good!

Did you ever run up against an ingredient list beyond impossible? Duck legs.

Combine w other shepherds pie recipelacked in some flavor

Made this with leftover smoked Turkey. Everything was fine except 6+2 Tbsp. butter was a bit excessive for the topping. Added peas before last bake. Loved the Potato/Parsnip 50/50 blend.I'll definitely do this again with lamb. It's a winner.

This was excellent

I love variations on shepherds pie. My favorite is using Italian pork sausage for the meat with mashed cauliflower in place of the potatoes. Plus peas and carrots to remind you it’s “shepherds pie”.

Made with chicken thighs and was delicious. Bake it longer than it says-make sure it’s got a nice crust on top.

I could only find frozen confit duck legs, but prepared them as directed in the recipe and the end result was awesome. Prepared and shredded up the duck meat the day before serving, saving time on the day--the cooking liquid turned into a sort of aspic in the fridge, which melted down nicely into the sauce once heated. Definitely stick to smaller parsnips, though, as the larger they are, the more likely you are to get tiny chunks of the woody centers not breaking down in the mash.

Excellent!I couldn't find parsnips in my local store. Still great with only mashed potatoes.I used 4 duck legs and a breast as that was what was available. I needed all the braising liquid to make the gravy.I substituted 5 shallots for the onion in the filling and added 2 large garlic cloves.It does take 3-4 hours start-to-finish. But it's not all that much work.

Can't buy just duck legs here. So, I used preserved duck legs and thighs, thereby skipping the first step for cooking in the legs in the oven.Took the meat of the bones, sauteed the veggies in the duck fat, added the bones and broth and simmered for 30 minutes.Then followed the recipe as is.Very good. Just sent some to my 90 year old mother-in-law who can't cook anymore.

10/14/18 Sautéed 16 oz mushrooms with 1 strip chopped bacon. Added 2 cups velouté sauce, meat from large roasted chicken, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, sherry peppers, parsley. Topped with leftover "neeps & tatties" (mashed potatoes & rutabaga).

Very good, but a lot of work. Venison, buffalo, lamb would be easier and no less delicious.