Apologies for being MIA. As you might have gathered from the last post I wrote, it was a rough week in the DALS house, and to be honest, a week and a few cabinet appointments later, I know we’re not alone in fearing that things might only get rougher. If I had to acknowledge a few bright spots, though, I’d say I’m heartened by all the displays of turning anger into action; by the way people are checking in with friends and family (this Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for Thanksgiving); and by watching my two f**ing badass daughters medal in their respective sporting events this past weekend. Also not insignificant: Our dinner table has never felt more vital — as a ritual that grounds us, and as one that reminds us who we are as a family, what we believe in, and how we plan to engage in an active, compassionate way going forward. (Being MIA does not figure into the strategy, by the way.) I hope you feel the same way and I’m eager to hear from everyone on that point.
I have a lot of Thanksgiving and holiday posts in the line-up for you guys, and that will begin tomorrow, but for now I wanted to share a recipe with you. A few days after the election, I was reading a (magical, escapist) short story by Jeanette Winterson (more on that very soon) that mentioned Shepherd’s Pie. The pie was in no means integral to the plot — or even the scene — but I underlined it and circled it, and thought to myself, this, yes this is what I’m craving on some acutely visceral level. My best friend Jeni’s mom, Rosa (book owners: yes, Rosa of Mud Cake fame), used to make it for special occasions, and I can still remember standing in front of their refrigerator, sharing a fork with Jeni, eating the leftovers. As you can see above, I still have a copy of the stained-and-battered recipe written on Rosa’s personal stationery (how 80s is that font?) which brings me a ridiculous amount of happiness. I’ve adjusted the ingredients a bit over the years, but I will say this: As far as comfort food goes, it doesn’t get any better.
Rosa’s Shepherd Pie
The original recipe, as you can see in the photo, was titled “Christmas Pie,” but we never called it that. Also: Step one in this recipe should read Invite your friends over.
Serves 6
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound lean pork
1/2 pound ground veal (you will be forgiven if you substitute ground turkey for this; I do)
1 whole boneless chicken breast, diced into small cubes
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 freshly ground pepper
pinch allspice
pinch nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in heavy skillet and saute onion and carrots until golden. Add garlic, pork, veal and cook until brown. Stir in chicken pieces. Add tomato paste, smushing it into the meat so it’s distributed.
Whisk the broth-water into the cornstarch to give it a smooth texture and stir into the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring until mixture thickens. Add salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg.
Add meat to 9-inch pie plate. Cover with Mashed Potatoes (below) and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
salt
Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt.
I took a work from home day and made a lasagna, last Tuesday. By the time dinner time rolled around (we’re 5 hours behind the East Coast) I knew I wasn’t going to have an appetite. The little dude ate it up and over the next week we picked at it, neither my husband nor I feeling like eating much. I’m not sure I’ll ever look at lasagna the same again, sadly. But this week, THIS WEEK, we are making simple comfort foods, putting our heads down and getting to work. Not moving on; not sure how one moves on from that, but forward. We have friends coming over for Thanksgiving next week. We are remembering to hold our family close and hunker down for the long haul. It’s the only way to get through these 4 years. Thank you for these last two posts and for helping a stranger feel not so alone.
This was interesting. As a Brit, we count Shepherds Pie as a national dish – and nothing like this! Mind you, sounds delicious. Because I like to spread good food around, here’s a traditional, English Shepherds Pie. Actually, because it is made with minced beef, it should be called Cottage Pie. Minced lamb should go into Shepherds Pie. I hope you give it a go because it is a wonderful and comforting dish for difficult times.
This makes a good, big one. I never measure…
About 1lb of minced beef
One large onion, chopped
Stock cube
Salt and pepper
Potatoes – to make a good wodge of mash
Grated cheese
Chop onions and fry in oil. Add minced beef and brown. Season nicely, add the stock cube and a cup of water – maybe more. You want it to have the consistency of bolognese. Cook it merrily for about 20 minutes, don’t let it dry out.
Prep the spuds and make a lovely pan of creamy, buttery mash, the way you like it. Put the meat mix into the sort of dish you would use with lasagne, top with the spuds and liberally sprinkle with grated cheese. Into hot over to make it all bubble. Serve with green veg or baked beans for ultimate comfort.
Because I have been making this for over 30 years and because the best SP you will ever eat is that made by your own mother, this is a dish to which I add a bit of this and that. A splash of Worcester Sauce or tomato ketchup or teaspoon of mustard to the meat as it cooks. But nothing flashy.
Next time you feel like screaming because Trump is in charge – make this. You know it makes sense.
Than god someone has raised that Shepherd’s Pie Is Made With Lamb – it’s one of those US vs UK/Australia things, I guess. (Like Ugg boots, they’re slippers.) But somehow it seems like it’s not about the actual pie, but what the pie means – and that seems to be the same for each of us.
Could not agree more that the dinner table (proverbial or more) is more important than ever! Food is great to organize around. The Friday after the election I had some friends over for an impromptu brunch. Barely planned anything, let alone cleaned, but my friend brought over her waffle maker and we all had mimosas and planned what we are going to do now. It was fun and comforting and energizing. Thank you for your posts and for not ignoring what is going on in the world.
Jenny,
Thank you for putting your thoughts which mirror the thoughts of a lot of us out there. As a Muslim immigrant raising an American Born Muslim son here I have never felt more let down, heart broken and fearful. I fear for his future and his present even though he is not even 3 yet. We have so much healing to do, so much to understand. We cannot allow ourselves to be dragged into the past, a horrific past i.e. The need of the hour is to be kind, be respectful, READ UP, take action and not let all our progress be snatched away from us.
This smelled so good while cooking and was a big, comfort hit. I made two and froze one since it is hard to find 1/2 lb. of meat.