If you love any film in which the heroine spends most of the movie dressed in a corset—or if you read Jane Austen like other women read Twilight—then this dinner’s right up your nineteenth-century alley. Traditional English shepherd’s pie, though, is made with lamb and tends to be quite heavy; we’ve kept the crispy potato top and created a lighter filling of curry-infused vegetables. It’s the perfect dish for a wintry Saturday night in.
Serves: 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
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- 4 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
- Salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup fresh or frozen thawed peas
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups white button mushrooms, halved
- 2 cups chopped leeks, thoroughly cleaned of any grit
- 2 cups chopped zucchini or chopped red, yellow, or green bell peppers
- 1 cup diced peeled parsnips or carrots
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
INSTRUCTIONS:
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- Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender. Drain and mash with milk, butter, peas, and salt and pepper.
- In a separate pan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until softened. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add broth, vegetables, curry powder, and cumin. Cover and cook until vegetables soften.
- Transfer vegetables to a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
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TIP:
- Clean leeks thoroughly by trimming, cutting, flushing under running water, and shaking dry.
