Goatherd's (Shepherd's) Pie

Goatherd's Pie

Delicious and nutritious, especially with home-grown sprouts or a side of farm greens!

Looking for a great winter meal made with mostly local ingredients? Shepherd's Pie, or in this case, Goatherd's Pie, is a great choice. This dish is defined by classic British umami flavors and is very versatile to the types of meats and veggies you have on hand. 

The most traditional versions feature lamb, celery, onion, and carrot sauced up by beef stock, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, bay, and marmite. Topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and often parmesan, it's baked until piping hot.

I had received a gift of some goat meat from a fellow farmer and to be honest was a bit intimidated -- I'd neither eaten nor cooked goat. Luckily, this take on a cottage pie was the perfect choice and used the types of veggies we still have around the farm.

My latest take swaps goat for lamb, salad turnips for celery, extra worcestershire because I didn't have marmite, turkey instead of beef stock (what I had) and I put purple top turnip and goat's chevre in my potatoes for a little twist. I served this once with a heaping side of sprouts and another time with the sauteed turnip greens leftover from the turnips I used in the filling. The result was awesome and I can say I will definitely be making it again, either with lamb or beef from the Barn Store.

Brown 1# ground goat (or beef or lamb), working in batches if need be. Meanwhile, start boiling your potatoes, about 5 large (and I used one purple top turnip as a potato) for your mash. Small dice an onion, some carrots, some salad turnips, and garlic if you wish. Use the same pan you browned the meat in to saute the veggies until soft and fragrant. Add 2 TBS tomato paste, 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves, and 1 cup of stock (turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb all work here). Add the meat back in and let it all meld while you prep the mashed potatoes. Drain the potatoes and peel them if you didn't do it before the boil. Put them, piping hot, in a bowl on top of a large knob of butter, salt and pepper to taste and 8 oz of goat's chevre if desired. If using a purple top turnip as a potato, it takes about the same time to cook and should mash right in. After mashing, check on the meat sauce. Either of the two components (meat sauce and mash) can be made up to two days ahead of time and kept in the fridge separately. Once everything is ready, pour the meat sauce in a 2-quart baking dish and put the mash overtop, spreading it out but not worrying about having it perfectly smooth because that's where the crispy bits form. If desired, sprinkle with parmesan and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling. It's common for them to boil over, so a tray underneath is suggested! Serve with salad, sprouts, or cooked greens for a fresh balance. 

The finished pie! It does tend to boil over, so putting a pan underneath is key!