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discussion & revival
of British foodways.

NO.73
SPRING / SUMMER2024

Esheperds’ Pie

The origin of the name for the Raj edition of shepherds’ pie, Esheperds’ Pie, remains obscure but according to Jennifer Brennan in Curries and Bugles the dish was a favorite of cook and diner alike in British India. As might be expected it tropicalizes the hearty dish with the addition of Indian ingredients and spicing. A pie for four or more.

    • mashed potatoes made with four of them and, once they cool, a large beaten egg
    • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
    • a red (or tiger colored if you can find one) bell pepper, cleaned and diced

Painting of a picnic in india

  • a diced red onion
  • 2 or 3 smashed and minced garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • heaped teaspoon or more ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • heaped ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 28 oz canned tomatoes, preferably San Marzanos
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • 12 or so pitted and chopped black olives
  • about 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
  1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and cook the pepper and onion until softened; remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon.
  2. Stir the garlic into the pan for a minute, add the lamb, increase the heat to high and cook the meat, breaking it up, until browned.
  3. Stir in the spicing and salt, then add the tomatoes, stirring until the filling thickens, usually in no more than 5 minutes.
  4. Add the zest and olives, and return the pepper and onion to the mix.

Preheat the oven to 375°

  1. Drop the filling into an appropriate pie dish, top it with the mashed potato, score the topping with a fork and sprinkle the pie with the sesame.
  2. Bake the pie until golden, usually in half an hour or so.
  3. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

  • Consistent with our custom we have adjusted the spicing to render it more robust.
  • A good jolt of Worcestershire within Step 3 would do no harm.
  • You could substitute a like aggregate amount of curry powder for the spice, also without harm.
  • Unaccountably, although she offers the lamb as an alternative, Brennan prefers beef but that would render the dish ecottage pie.