There are few dishes that reward patience quite like a traditional shepherd’s pie. This slow-cooked lamb version is stripped back to its essentials — two days, one pot, and a handful of good ingredients that build quietly into something remarkable.
Often, shepherd’s pie was a way to use up leftover roast lamb — simple, thrifty cooking at its best. In this case, we’ve gone all in from the start, braising lamb shanks for depth and richness. Both approaches are preferable to the shortcut of mince, which can never quite replicate the texture or flavour of true slow-cooked lamb.
The dish has its roots in the rural kitchens of the British Isles in the late 18th century, when the potato became a staple and leftover meat needed a second life. Whether from England, Scotland or Ireland, the idea was the same: nothing wasted, everything transformed — and few comfort foods speak so directly to home cooking.
I made this during a rare weekend off from coaching girls football, be assured, this Shepherd’s Pie is incredible but not nearly as good as my football team!
Print this bad boy out
Thirty-Hour Shepherd’s Pie | Recipe
A slow-cooked lamb shepherd’s pie recipe made with lamb shanks, homemade stock and buttery Maris Piper mash. Traditional British comfort food, perfected over 30 hours. Don't worry, you won't need to shepherd it for 30 hours. Start with a casserole to braise the lamb and make stock.
The Stock and pulled lamb (Day 1) Place the lamb shanks, carrot, onion, celery and peppercorns in a heavy casserole. Add water to come three-quarters up the sides of the shanks. Don't brown the meat, it'll catch a tiny bit if gnarl, but when it's in the pie, you want it soft and silky. Cover and roast in the oven at 130 °C for 6 hours. The meat should fall from the bone and the liquid should have turned into a rich, gelatinous stock. Lift out the shanks, strain the stock, and refrigerate both overnight. Discard the spent vegetables.
The Filling (Day 2) Skim and discard any fat from the chilled stock. Shred the lamb from the bones and set aside, be careful to pick out any small bones. There's a particularly pin like bone in each shank, make sure you find those. In a clean pan, melt a little butter or dripping. Gently sweat the fresh carrot, onion and celery until soft and aromatic, avoid any colour. Stir in the flour to make a light roux, then add the shredded lamb. Gradually pour in enough of the reserved stock to form a thick, glossy mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the sauce clings to the meat. Season generously to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon into a deep baking dish and leave to cool slightly.
The Mash Boil the Maris Piper potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well and return to the pan over low heat to steam off excess moisture. Mash with all of the cream and the egg yolks until smooth and rich, add a little milk if you need to loosed it up, you don't want it runny at all though - so be careful. Season well, taste it. With a spatula gently scoop it into the roasting dish, creating a layer on top of the filling. Rough up the surface with a fork, I made a Union Jack - the texture will crisp beautifully in the oven.
Bake Bake at 200 °C for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. There’s no need for cheese — the richness of the lamb and stock speaks for itself. You choose the colour as it bakes, you want a few burnt peaks for sure.
Serve I served it with a big spoon full of peas, but any green vegetable loves sitting beside a Classic Shepherd's Pie. Enjoy
