Question Shepard's Pie for St. Paddy

OK, this is a recipe I found online , rather than my own creation; it's one of several almost-but-not-quite identical recipes claiming to be Gordon Ramsay's (because every recipe today has to have a celeb chef's name attached), and indeed it does match one Ramsay presented in an an "F Word" video pretty closely (I'll post that below).

I was probably a bit too concerned about actually using ground lamb instead of beef or something else less expensive (it is my understanding that one of the weird ironies about the US is that lamb and mutton, which historically were the food of the common people, and which IIUC are still cheaper than beef and pork in some other countries, are some of the more expensive meats here), but I do think it was worth the x3 price per unit compared to lean ground beef (more due to the ordinary supermarkets here not having any at all, and the Fresh Market I managed to get it at had to grind it to order). Well, as the man himself once pointed out (on Kitchen Nightmares, admittedly), it's called shepherd's pie for a reason, and with beef it would be cottage pie .

I also got a bit panicked towards the end, as I was making it for a potluck dinner and I was running late, meaning I forgot the thyme and the Worcestershire sauce, and used corn starch instead of flour. I could have put a bit more salt in it, too. Still, it came out pretty well, though the side I made (Colcanon, which I will also post later) turned out rather better IMO.

All in all, while I am not entirely satisfied with how I did, it was worth trying. I may try again, or at least try a cottage pie, sometime in the future.

Anyway, the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs ground lamb
1 large onion, grated
1 large carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1½ tbsp tomato paste
2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2.5 lbs potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
2 egg yolks
¾ cup milk
4 tbsp butter
6 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Heat the oil in a large pan until hot.
Season the ground lamb and fry in the oil over moderate to high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Stir the onions and carrot into the mince then grate the garlic in as well.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and herbs and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in the red wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated.
Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender.
Drain then return to the hot pan over low heat to dry out briefly.
Pass them through a potato ricer then beat in the egg yolks, milk and butter, followed by about 2 tbsp grated Parmesan.
Check for seasoning.
Spoon the lamb mixture into the bottom of a large ovenproof dish.
Using a large spoon, layer the mashed potato generously on top of the lamb mixture, starting from the outside and working your way into the middle.
Top with remaining parmesan and season.
Fluff up the mashed potato with a fork to make rough peaks.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.



The comments on the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie is in this video about a restaurant named "The Grasshopper"; the shepherd's pie is brought in at 1 min 20 seconds.