Shepherd’s Pie - EastWest recipe - Must try!
This shepherd’s pie recipe was given to me by my dear friend in Perth, and its yummy-licious. People always react when I make this and wonder whats in it, some people paid me money to bake for them! In my mind its a fusion of east and west with the use of chillis and oyster sauce and chicken stock cubes. As usual, the more or less of whatever ingredients is a choice you can make, but these days I would mindlessly add on, and taste as I go along. It aint bland as the standard pie, its got a kick but not overpowering, but then the choice is yours! As a gift to you, on my birthday today, 18 of May, let me present to you the recipe:
Ingredients: 500g minced meat; 1-1.5kg potatoes; 3-4 tbsp ketchup; 3-4 oyster sauce; 2-3 tbsp worchester sauce; 3 medium onions; 6 garlic ; 3-4 cups of mixed vegetables (green peas, corn, carrot); 4-6 tbsp milk; 4-6 tbsp buttter; 2 chicken cubes; 4-5 chilli padi (small chillies but the usual one can do, estimate); sliced button mushrooms ; grated cheese; salt and pepper.
Methods to make the meat filling : Saute/fry onions for a while, add the minced meat, stir till its almost cooked. Add the sauces, chicken cubes, oyster sauce, ketchup. Then add mixed veges, mushrooms, chillis.
Methods to make the mash potatoes: Boil potatoes and mash (without skin of course). Add milk and butter; salt and pepper. Ensure they are well mixed. (I always end up with just a bit more milk and butter).
For baking: Place minced meat mixture in a baking tin, level it. Place the mashed potatoes on top and level it. Use a fork to make some designs on top, when its brown, makes it look pretty. Then sprinkle grated cheese on top, how much you desire , it’s up to you. Bake in pre-heated oven at 210C for estimated 30-40minutes, check in once in a while, as long as the top is brown, you are done.
Some tips: I used to mash potatoes by first boiling them with the skins, and then peel them and mash them, which was usually very hard work. Till I attended a course by a chef, who peeled the potatoes before boiling and cut them up in cubes, add salt. They cook faster and so easy to mash, and doesnt shortchange the taste. For the westerners, if you don’t wish to use chillis, use lots of pepper. For the Asians, with fiery tongue, use chilli padis for that kick, more if you wish but don’t get burned!
Promise to tell me if you try it! The result should be a moist pie, with a confused but delicious taste 
cos it has worchester sauce combined with oyster and chicken stock.
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May 18th, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
Hey there Nora,
Your shepherd pie sounds like mine minus the chilli padi & oyster sauce. But I must say it sounds good. will try with the chilli. I used to add 1tbls of chilli powder(my mum’s idea) to give a little kick!!!. Thanks and have a great day
Shirely
May 18th, 2006 @ 11:19 pm
Hope that you recieved my comments, it was great Nora
May 19th, 2006 @ 12:29 am
FIRST HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, AND HOPE ITS A GREAT ONE. MY QUESTION 2 CHICKEN CUBES WOULD BE EQUAL TO HOW MUCH CHICKEN STOCK?
THANKS
May 19th, 2006 @ 1:35 pm
First at all ..Happy Birthday Nora! Your sheppard pie recipe sounds good to me. I think this evening i would like to try it for my kids. But with very little chilis of course…and a lot of cheese…!But I want to ask something can I put mashed potato layer before i put minced meat mixture and then mashed potatoes on the mixture?
Thanks a lot. Bye Nora.
May 19th, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
Hi Hanna
Thanks for writing. Well great if you are going to try it tonite, you can go right ahead to do it anyways you want, the taste aint gonna change:) , not a problem. Was thinking of baking one for myself too!
cheers!
Nora
May 19th, 2006 @ 2:06 pm
Happy Birthday to you. thanks for the shepherd pie recipe. I will try it one of these days.My family loves shepherd’s pie
May 19th, 2006 @ 2:40 pm
Hi! Nora,
Happy Birthday to you and God bless you!
I will bake your shepherd’s pie on Wednesday for my bible study group. Yummy!!
Thank you.
May 22nd, 2006 @ 3:27 am
HI NORA
Happy Birthday.I really enjoy your recipy.Those are yummy…………… I was so busy forthat I’m late to say you thanks.Take care bye
May 23rd, 2006 @ 10:32 am
Dear Nora,
Sorry didn check my mail, so sorry belated happy biirthday wishes from me. Wish you good health and god bless you. I will be trying your recipe some time soon and will let you know how it turned out. Meanwhile with lots of best wishes I end my mail.
May 24th, 2006 @ 8:33 pm
sounds delicious!
you really should write an ebook filled with all these excellent recipes!
or have you already and i didnt know???
take care sally
May 25th, 2006 @ 6:19 pm
Dear Nora,
First of all I want to say a ver belated happy birth day to a person of strong spirit, no matter how old the person is; soul & will power must be young.
For you i pray that God sparkle ur way with lots of His benediction & you will be happy with ur family always.
I do tell u when I will try this reciepie which Iam sure as Iam very much fond to cook & eat pizza, pie.
Hope u had a great fun on your birthday.
Love & regards,
Sadaf
July 26th, 2006 @ 6:58 pm
Only today did I see this delicious sounding recipe, so birthday wishes are hardly in order. But I hope that you are having a pleasant summer!
Exactly what is oyster sauce? And is there a substitute for it if one cannot find it? (Or can it simply be left out w/o too much damage? … although from what you say, as well as the comments, it does add a special effect!)
Thank you for all the easy, useful, and fun recipes - as well as for your ever cheery comments and breezy tone. (I adore people who don’t take themselves too seriously.)
August 16th, 2006 @ 7:34 am
Dear Nor!
The Shepherd’s Pie was great, it was a little sweet because I did not add chilli for 2 reasons. One, I can’t find red chilli let alone chilli padi in Lompoc, California!!! And secondly, my step-daughter cannot take ANYTHING spicy! Her tongue is so sensitive that even if I add just a tad of chilli, she can taste it and say it’s spicy! Ya! I didn’t know which kind of cheese to use so I decided to use mild cheddar. I think I should have gone with mozeralla instead. It was a little dry but it still tasted great! The portions you recommended was almost perfect!
Keep them recipes coming!
November 29th, 2006 @ 3:45 am
great recipe there.ty so much,,U r a fantasic cook my dear lady..God Bless You
February 5th, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
Hi
could you let me know how many people you would feed from the Shepherd Pie recipe.
thanks
Adrienne