Shepherd's Pie

This was a collaboration- we used lamb cooked with onions, yellow beets, herbs, and red wine, and we topped it with potatoes mashed with celeriac and a healthy sprinkling of aged cheddar cheese. This picture is terrible, but I can promise that the result was delicious!

Lamb Burgers

For these, I mixed ground lamb with finely chopped red onion, fresh Greek oregano, ground cumin, and salt and pepper. I served them with mint chutney, feta cheese, and chopped olives, on rosemary focaccia.

Shepherd's Pie

Eric has been asking me to make this for ages, so I thought I'd give it a try. This is Michael Chiarello's recipe, but I've made a few changes, based on what I did and what I would do next time.


1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground beef, lamb, or turkey
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1 C green peas
2 medium onions, diced
1 level Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs flour
1/2 C red wine
1 C beef or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tbs butter
1/2 C cream or milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep pan. Brown the meat and remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the onions and sautee until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the copped carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, herbs and cinnamon. Stir for a couple of minutes to combine, and then stir in the flour until the liquid is absorbed. Now add the red wine and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the peas. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them, into large pieces, and place in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, drain them, return them to the pot, cover with a cloth to absorb the steam, and leave them for about 5 minutes. Next, add the butter and cream, and mash them. Season with salt and pepper. When the meat is ready, spoon it into a large baking dish and level with the back of the spoon. Spread the potatoes evenly all over. Bake until the top is crusty and golden, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining thyme on top, and let stand a few minutes before serving.

Lamb and Couscous

This recipe is somewhere between the Greek lamb and rice my mother used to make, and an Afghani dish with lamb, yogurt and rice. I like to serve it with couscous, but rice would work just as well.


1 lb ground lamb
1 C peas (frozen is fine)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 large onion, diced
4 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper

Yogurt sauce:
1 1/2 C Greek yogurt
1 tomato, diced
1 Tbs finely chopped mint leaves
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper

In a large pan, sautee the onions and garlic with the fennel and cardamom. Add the meat and spices, cook through, adding the peas halfway. Remove the cardamom pods before serving.

For the yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients.

Serve over couscous with the yogurt sauce on top.