Shepherd Pie a la Gnome

Welcome back Friends!

Continuing in the spirit of National Nutrition Month, we’re here for another installment of Role for Attention in the Kitchen, we were lucky enough to snag a page from our resident gnome’s journal with her much-referenced Mom’s Shepherd’s Pie! (For legal reasons, this is the “Miner’s Pie from the Hero’s Feast D&D Cookbook).

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6th of Olarune, 987 YK

For our birthday this year, Momma taught us both to make her famous Shepherd’s Pie that is our traditional birthday dinner; she hasn’t let us watch her make it before now, saying something about ‘it messes with the magic’ or something, and to drive that point home, she would cover the kitchen door using her Druidcraft with vines that would twap us on the behind if we got too close, the whole thing woven with sunflowers & daisies - our favorite flowers. As we got older, I think she kept this up for the “dramatic flare” she creates walking out with the piping hot deliciousness to serve from the kitchen - the vines part, placing a sunflower behind Ali’s ear, a Daisy behind mine, and with a huge smile on her face, Mom places the pie in front of us, always saying “Well dig in before it gets cold! Plenty to go around.”

Today, we quickly realized why we were never allowed to help - magic or no - neither of us were very enthused about vegetables growing up, and when we entered the kitchen, the counter was covered in so many different vegetables that it made my head spin.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1 medium leek (white & light green parts, halved lengthwise & cut into pieces half the length of your pinky finger)

• 3-5 cloves of garlic - she always says to measure this part with your heart

• ¾ cup of corn kernels (frozen from last season, but thawed or fresh-cut from the cob)

• ¾ cup of peas, shucked from their pods (again, fresh or frozen)

• 2 pounds meat of choice, ground (she’s partial to either beef or pork)

• 4 tablespoons of tomato paste

• 3 tablespoons of flour, all purpose

• ½ cup of your favorite ale - extra for the cooks if you are so inclined

• 1 cup chicken broth or stock of choice

• 1 ½ tablespoon favorite unflavored oil (we tend to use olive)

• SEASONINGS (fresh from your garden if possible!)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme

  • ¼ cup chopped parsley

FILLING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Saute onion, leek, bay leaf, & a heavy pinch of salt in shimmering oil until softened (about 3-5 minutes)

2. Add ground meat & cook until no longer pink, breaking up any large chunks (about 10 minutes)

3. Add garlic, thyme & tomato paste, stirring constantly until you can smell it all coming together (about 1 minute)

4. Turn down heat slightly & sprinkle over flour, cook until flour is completely blended in

5. Slowly start to add the liquid (ale & broth) and another healthy pinch of salt

6. Turn up heat & bring to a simmer, scraping the good bits off the bottom & dissolving them in the liquid - can’t leave any flavor behind! (about 1 minute after simmering)

7. Stir occasionally until the filling is still saucy, but has thickened. Usually takes approx 15 minutes. Any liquids should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon & stay there.

8. Once consistency is reached, add peas & con, pulling off the heat & removing the bay leaf.

9. Add in parsley & stir to combine thoroughly.

10. Taste & adjust salt & pepper seasoning to taste (this is where you would add in any special seasoning blends if you have one you like)

11. Scrape into your baking dish & set aside.

12. Preheat the oven (450 degrees) making sure the food will sit in the upper ⅓ of the oven

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING:

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled & cut into cubes about half the length of your pinky

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• ⅔ cup full-fat milk, or a mixture of half whole-fat milk and half heavy cream (half & half!)

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ cup hard crumbled cheese (parmesan)

• ¾ to 1 cup coarsely grated cheese of choice - we like cheddar

• SEASONINGS:

  • Salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TOPPING:

1. Steam or boil peeled potatoes until very tender

2. Drain water from potatoes & add potatoes back to the pot, using your favorite method to for mashed potatoes - we have a bit of chain mail stretched on a frame that basically turns them into rice

3. Add milk, palm-full of salt, & pepper to your taste, then the hard crumbled cheese & stir well

4. Taste & adjust salt & pepper seasoning to taste (this is where you would add in any special seasoning blends if you have one you like)

5. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes so as not to scramble the eggs

6. Once cooled slightly, add in and stir the eggs to incorporate

7. Once eggs are added, spoon/spread evenly over the filling, making sure to fully cover & then top with the shredded cheese. Feel free to add in any decorative touches to the potatoes here - sketch in a message, or well-wishes or anything.

8. After oven is pre-heated, bake until everything is heated through completely & the potato mixture has puffed up slightly.

9. For the last 5-7 minutes, hit the top directly with some high-heat (a well-controlled flame cantrip or broiler works well here), sprinkle with remaining parsley - if desired - and serve hot!

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Thanks for letting us borrow your journal, Talia! We plan to recreate this with a special seasoning blend all of our own at one of our gatherings!! If you try this recipe, make sure to let us know on social media using the hashtag #RFAinTheKitchen!! Can’t wait to see what you create! Remember, we love you, be respectful to each other, and we’ll catch you next time!

Byeeeeee <3