When you've bought too much lamb for Easter

Sometimes, whether out of exuberance or in ignorance, you buy too much meat. Sometimes, it might be as much as twice as much. After the initial chagrin, that's when handy leftover transformations are great, and you can't get much more English and much more homey than shepherd's pie. Shepherd's pie is of course not to be confused with cottage pie, which is essentially the same thing but with beef instead of lamb. (Although it is tempting to think that perhaps the Shepherd should actually prefer cottage pie, out of loyalty to his charges?) Traditionally, both are made with leftover roast, but rumor has it that making it with fresh, raw ground beef or lamb (dry-fried with the aromatics at the beginning) is actually better. The following is a version of shepherd's pie that I've cobbled together from Nigella's How to Eat, Jimmy Doherty's A Taste of the Country (which by the way is not only a good guide to classic British farm fare, but also one of the most quirky and literally 'down-to-earth' cookbooks I've ever read, and has inspired my obsession with owning chickens one day), and a recipe adapted from a back-issue of Cooks Illustrated for 'smashed potatoes' - the yummy peeling-free version of mash. This is a recipe that calls for a lot of judgement calls, but if you're fearless in such situations and you have any leftover lamb hanging about, give it a go!

Di’s 'Souped Up Easter Leftovers' version of Shepherd’s Pie

Filling:
1 lb. leftover lamb roast, very finely chopped or minced (can dry fry ground lamb with onions first too)
1-2 cans of chopped tomatoes in tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
about 3/4 c. of beef broth
2-4 Tb. Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 large carrots, minced
2 medium onions, minced
3-4 stalks of celery, minced
a large handful of parsley and stalks, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced

tip: for the last 5 ingredients, using the food processor is quick and easy

1. Cook this mixture in a few Tb. of olive oil over low heat 10-20 minutes or until carrots are cooked
2. add cooked lamb and flour, stir to combine thoroughly
3. add 1 can of tomatoes slowly; add 2 Tb of tomato paste and some broth and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and add more tomatoes/paste/broth as needed to reach the desired consistency, namely moist, but not soupy, like a filling for a meat pie. Simmer until meat is heated through. Dump into 9x13 pan and finish topping.

tip: While you're waiting for the carrots to cook, you can start the smashed potato topping

Smashed Potato Topping:
2 pounds or more of large red potatoes, washed but not peeled and generally all the same size (cut them down if you have to)
3 bay leaves
8 oz. (1 pack) of light cream cheese
4 Tb. butter or margarine, melted
½ c + warm milk or reserved water from boiling the potatoes (which is actually better than milk)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring potatoes to a boil with the bay leaves and then turn down to a low heat and let simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until a paring knife can pierce the potatoes with no resistance
2. Drain potatoes, reserving some of the potato water; remove bay leaves and let the potatoes dry out back in the pan for about 5 minutes with the lid off
3. While the potatoes dry, whisk together the melted butter, cream cheese, and salt and pepper, adding ½ c. milk or potato water to create a smooth creamy consistency
4. Smash the potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon on the side of the pan. Leave lumps in: lumps taste good. Fold in cream cheese mixture. Add more milk/potato water as necessary to reach the desired consistency (not too wet - you want a chunky topping that can spread, not a gummy topping)
5. Adjust salt and pepper to taste

Assembly:

1. Top the meat filling with potatoes, and grate over a small amount of cheddar cheese if desired
2. Put under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top