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Thirty-Hour Shepherd’s Pie | Recipe

Wayne @NationalDish — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:00:19 +0000

Shepherd’s Pie is a British Classic

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!

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.

CourseMain Dish
CuisineBritish
KeywordHomemade, Stew

Servings4 People

Prep Time1 Hour

Cook Time30 Minutes

Passive Time28.5 Hours

Ingredients

For the Stock

2Large lambshanks
1Large carrotcut into chunks
1Large onioncut into chunks
2Sticks celerycut into chunks
8Whole black pepper corns
3/4Litre's waterenough to cover the lamb to about 2 thirds

For the Pie Filling

Allof the meat from the lambshanks
2 carrotsfinely diced
1 onionfinely diced
1Stick celeryfinely diced
1tbsp corn flour
2tsp Worcestershire sauce
500ml lambstock (the stuff you just made when braising the lamb)
sea salt flakes
black pepper

For the topping

1kg potatoesMaris Piper
2 egg yolks
300ml double cream
sea salt flakesto taste, carefully

Instructions

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

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Fig tree to fork Israeli Spicy Fig Chutney | What is the national dish of Israel?

Wayne @NationalDish — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 21:54:01 +0000

Fresh figs straight from the tree and into a spicy chutney for cheese.
Photograph: Wayne Morgan – nationaldish.co.uk © 2017

In sunless England we don’t generally manage to grow exotic ingredients and whilst figs grow well (I grew these myself), they tend not to be as sweet as sunnier climates. So what to do with them. Quartered and covered in honey is stunning, but, make a savoury fig chutney out of them you’d better keep an eye on them, because they are about to elope with all your cheese and get married.

Israeli Fig Chutney | איור צ'אטני

If you want to keep this, you'll need to sterilise some jam jars and their lids or it can be eaten straight away (once it's cooled, obvs) and will last a couple of days in the fridge. This also best made the day before you need it.

CourseDips and bits, Side Dish
CuisineIsraeli, Middle Eastern

Servings3 Normal sized jam jars

Prep Time15 Minutes

Cook Time45 Minutes

Passive Time30 Minutes

Ingredients

250ml red wine
10whole figsstalks removed and roughly chopped
1medium red onionsliced
2 tangerinespeeled, seeds removed and roughly chopped
250ml water
1 star anise
1good sprig rosemary
2tbls honeythe runny stuff
1tsp garlic powder
2tsp cayenne pepperwant less of a kick use less cayenne
1tsp ground ginger
2 bay leaves

Instructions

First of all, pick the figs (or take them out of the packaging. If you are picking your timeframe is short - if it looks almost ready you can expect the insects to get to it by morning. Ready is when a drop of juice is appearing at the bottom.
Start by reducing the red wine in a saucepan, bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Whilst that's doing, chop up with the figs and tangerines and have your other ingredients on standby.
When the wine is ready lob everything in to the pot with the water and stir whilst bring back to the boil.
Let it simmer for about half an hour, until the liquid has reduced and thickened and then turn off the heat and let it cool. When cooled remove the rosemary, star anise and bay leaves.
If preserving, using ultra clean hands and a spoon, fill the jars, put lids on and refrigerate. If you're gonna eat it that day or tomorrow - put in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. It's best served chilled.
Thank you Israel

תודה לישראל

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How do you make Filipino Pork Adobo | Adobo Baboy | What is the national dish of the Philippines?

Wayne @NationalDish — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:31:48 +0000

This is undoubtedly the national dish of this multi-island paradise nation. It’s slow cooked pork, poached in a deep flavoured liquor. How do you make Filipino Pork Adobo?

You will probably want a side dish with it, try our filipino garlic fried rice (sinangag) recipe.

How do you make Filipino Pork Adobo | Pork slow cooked in soy, vinegar and garlic.

Using pork shoulder for this will benefit the slow cooking process - whilst the sauce is reducing and concentrating the pork will soften and take on all the flavour, uhhhhhhh

CourseMain Dish
CuisineFilipino

Servings2 people

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time90 minutes

Ingredients

350g pork shoulderI used a couple of steaks
3tbls vegetable oil
50ml malt vinegarI used clear
100ml dark soy sauce
2 bay leaves
8cloves garliccrushed
2tsp black pepper cornscrushed
150ml water
1thumb sized piece fresh gingergrated

Instructions

Cut the pork in to largish chunks, it'll will reduce in size during the cooking process.
Place all the oil in to a saucepan on a medium high heat, when hot, add all the pork and give it a stir, you don't want to seal the meat.
Straight away add about two thirds of the peppercorns, garlic and ginger, quick stir,
Add all of the soy, water and vinegar, slosh it around and throw in the bay leaves, bring to the boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. You'll let this go like this for a minimum of 90 minutes, all you have to do is not let it dry out - just add a little water if need be, but it must go for the whole time.
When you've reached the target time all the liquid should have reduced down to a glistening coating on the pork - not dry and not sat in a pool. Grab a warm serving plate, build a pile of Adobo and serve.
Thank you The Philippines

Salamat

The post How do you make Filipino Pork Adobo | Adobo Baboy | What is the national dish of the Philippines? appeared first on National Dish.