Shepherd's Pie with Hot Water Pastry Crust
Hot water pastry crust, filled with layers of seasoned ground beef and mashed potatoes, baked until crisp and golden.
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Equipment
- 8 or 9 Inch Springform Pan with 3 Inch Depth
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground lamb
- ½ sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth, chicken broth or water
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 ½ lbs peeled and chopped russet potatoes
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ - ½ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Crust
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Getting Ready
- To bake your pie, you'll need a springform pan with removable sides/base. I used an 8 inch pan with a 3-inch depth, but this is not a common size. You could also use a 9 or 10 inch pan with a 2 inch depth. I also lined the bottom of my pan with parchment paper to make sure the crust didn't stick.
- You'll be getting your fillings ready first, so that they are finished when it's time to roll out your dough and assemble your pie. You must work with the hot water crust while it's moist, warm and pliable. If you let it cool down or dry out, it will become crumbly, prone to tearing, and difficult to work with.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Meat Filling
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the ground beef/lamb. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add the onion, carrots and garlic. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly.
- Stir in the tomato paste, flour and spices, until everything is well combined.
- Add the broth/water, and cook for several more minutes until the liquid has slightly thickened, and everything is coated in the gravy.
- Set aside until needed.
Mashed Potatoes
- Peel and chop the potatoes, then place them in a saucepan. Cover the potatoes with water.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then boil for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water.
- To the boiled potatoes, add the butter, milk, salt and pepper, and mash the potatoes until fluffy.
- Set aside until needed.
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- In a saucepan, bring the water and butter just to a boil over medium high heat, then remove from the heat. Pour the boiling liquid into the flour mixture and stir it together into a crumbly mixture.
- Dump the dough crumbs out onto a clean counter. Use your hands to knead the dough, just until it comes together into a ball. The dough will be warm, but should not be too hot to handle.
Assembly
- Cut off 1/3 of the dough to use for the top crust. Wrap this portion in plastic wrap to keep it warm and moist, and set it aside.
- On a floured counter, roll out 2/3 of the dough into a circle large enough to fit into your pan with an inch or two hanging over the sides.
- Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it against the sides.
- Spoon the prepared meat filling into the crust, then top the meat filling with the mashed potatoes.
- On a floured counter, roll out the remaining 1/3 of the dough, then place the top crust over the filling.
- Use scissors to trim the edges, leaving enough overhang to press the top and bottom crust together. Use your fingers to crimp it all around.
- Gather up any remaining dough scraps, roll them out again (the dough may be stiffer and more crumbly now), and cut out leaves or other decorative shapes.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg with 1 tbsp water. Brush the egg wash over the top crust. Place the decorative cutouts on top, and brush those with egg wash, too.
- Use a knife to poke a hole in the center to vent steam.
Bake
- Bake the pie at 375 F on the center oven rack for about 55-65 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan.
- Cool the pie for another 15-30 minutes, then serve warm. Since the ground meat and mashed potato filling is very soft, don't expect to be able to cut super neat, clean slices of pie. It may be a little messy, but it will be delicious!
Video
Notes
- Reheating. You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave at 60-70% power. Even leftover, the crust will stay crisp, not soggy.
- Shepherd's Pie vs Cottage Pie. The main difference between these types of pie is the meat used. Traditionally, in the UK, shepherd's pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with beef. However, in the US, most people use the term "shepherd's pie" interchangeably for both types of meat fillings.
- Baking without the Pastry Crust. To bake just the fillings without the crust, you can layer the meat filling topped with the mashed potatoes in a 9x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes and serve hot.
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