new toy!

Squee! I'm so excited. Here's my new Mario Batali enameled cast iron pan. I've been wanting this thing forever - can you imagine the possibilities? Braised short ribs. Stew. Risottos galore. Last night, on its maiden voyage, we tried out a hearty shepherd's pie. Here's the recipe:

Shepherd's Pie:

1/2 C. olive oil
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, browned, drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, diced
1 heart of celery, diced
1 C. frozen green peas
1 C. frozen white corn
Salt/Pepper
1/4 C. flour
8 oz. beef stock
6 oz. Guinness
1/4 C. Worcestershire

Topping:
2 lbs. new white potatoes, boiled, smashed
8 oz. sharp cheddar
1 C. heavy cream
4 T. butter
2 T. salt

For the pie, heat the olive oil in the bottom of your skillet. Add onion, sautee until translucent (10 mins). Add carrots, celery. Sautee 10 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add browned ground beef. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle flour over top of mixture, stir to combine. Add Guinness, to deglaze pan. Stir, until sauce thickens. Add beef stock, a little at a time. Add worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste. (We also added a bit of balsamic and some Frank's hot sauce, because, why not?). Make sure the base tastes good on its own. At the very end, add peas and corn. Stir.

Topping: Combine potatoes, butter, cream, and cheese, salt, and pepper, and mash until combined to your liking. Spread in even layer on top of the beef mixture. Drag fork over top to create ridges.

BAKE: 350-375 oven for 1 hour, until top is golden brown and pie is beginning to bubble around edges. Dig in.