John Whaite is a British food writer, television presenterand cookery school owner. He won series three of The Great British Bake Off andhas released several cookbooks.
See more of John Whaite’s recipes
John Whaite
John Whaite is a British food writer, television presenterand cookery school owner. He won series three of The Great British Bake Off andhas released several cookbooks.
See more of John Whaite’s recipes
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Ingredients
50g unsalted butter
4 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ cinnamon stick
2 dried bay leaves
4 black peppercorns
2 onions, very finely chopped
1 carrot, very finely chopped
40g ginger, finely grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 litre fresh chicken stock
1 tbsp garam masala
2 x 250g pouches cooked Puy lentils
250g lamb mince
250g frozen garden peas, defrosted
For the sag aloo top
1kg Desiree or other red-skinned potatoes, skin on and cut into 2.5cm cubes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
50g unsalted butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp black mustard seeds
200g baby leaf spinach
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Prepare to the end of step 3, cool, cover and chill for several hours or up to a day ahead. Add 10 minutes cooking time from chilled..
Heat a large frying pan or shallow casserole over a medium high heat and, once hot, add the butter, cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and peppercorns. Fry, stirring frequently, until the bay leaves start to crackle and there is a strong spice aroma – about 2 minutes. Add the onions and carrot and continue to fry, tossing the pan every so often, for 5 minutes, just until the vegetables are hot – there’s no need to cook them until they soften, provided you chopped them finely enough.
Mix in the ginger, garlic and tomato purée and fry for a further minute, just until the garlic smells strongly. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by a third. Add the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt, stir to mix well and put into a baking dish, removing the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. For the sag aloo top, put the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover them with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, boil for 10 minutes, then drain. Put the oil and butter into the frying pan and set over a high heat. Once the butter melts, add the spices and fry until the mustard seeds pop. Add the potatoes and 200ml water. Cook until the water evaporates (3-4 minutes), stirring as they cook. Add the spinach, turn off the heat, and allow the spinach to wilt for a few minutes. Pile the sag aloo on top of the lamb filling.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is bubbling. If the potatoes start to burn before the filling is ready, cover the dish with foil.
Recipes taken from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books, £19.99).
Chef quote
‘Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food – but rather than give you the regular version we know and love, I’m making it with Indian spices.’
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Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.
If it is made with lamb (or mutton, however mutton is rarely sold in England in the modern day) it is usually called "shepherd's pie" (because a shepherd looks after sheep) and has a topping of mashed potato, patterned to represent sheep's fleece.
Classic Shepherd's Pie is a comforting casserole that consists of ground lamb, carrots, and peas simmered with Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs and topped with a cheesy mashed potato layer that's baked until golden and crisp.
The dish originates from the British Isles, but some might argue that it is an Irish dish by origin. The name "Shepherd's Pie" was first recorded in an 1877 cookbook. In this same cookbook, it was noted that the dish was of Scottish origin. During the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, money was very tight.
To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato. Freeze in individual ovenproof dishes for an easy meal for one.
How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.
It's called cottage pie in the U.K. because they use beef and in Ireland since the shepherds tend sheep, it's shepherd's pie. No doubt, the English put out an excellent cottage pie, but in Ireland it used to be a delicacy since the Irish couldn't afford beef they repurposed any unused veggies and meat.
It is a dish that originated around the time that potatoes were introduced in the UK (in the late 1700s). Potatoes were affordable ingredients that were often used by the peasants, who lived in cottages. So, "cottage pie" was an easy to make, affordable dish invented to fill peasant tummies.
Historians believe that the Greeks actually originated pie pastry. The pies during this period were made by a flour-water paste wrapped around meat; this served to cook the meat and seal in the juices. The Romans, sampling the delicacy, carried home recipes for making it (a prize of victory when they conquered Greece).
It seems to have originated as a way for folks to make use of leftovers, in order to avoid waste, both of the food and money varieties. Simply put, after making a weekend roast, unused meat was repurposed into a pie using affordable potatoes as a crust.
The Ancient Egyptians created the first example of what we know as pies today. Later on, closer to the 5th Century BC, the Ancient Greeks were believed to invent pie pastry as it is mentioned in the plays of the writer Aristophanes and it was possible to work as a pastry chef in this era, a separate trade to a baker.
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Prep time: 30 mins
