The shepherd who makes this pie has leftover roast duck to finish up and he loves duck with peas. With a hint of lemon added to the mash, this is a rich and very special shepherd’s pie. There’s another duck shepherd’s pie amongst my recipes, here’s the link Roast Duck and Orange Shepherd’s Pie.
Serves 2, generously
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
600g potatoes
100ml milk
40g butter
½ lemon
1 carrot, approx 150g
100g frozen petits pois
1 onion, approx 200g
1 tbsp duck fat or vegetable oil
1 tbsp flour
200ml duck or chicken stock, gravy, water or mixture
300g approx, roast duck
Peel, chunk rinse and boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender. Drain. Add 100ml milk and 40g butter to the pan, return to the heat and when the butter is melted, return the potatoes (I use a mouli-legumes) and mash smooth. Add a generous squeeze of lemon, beating until the mash is light and fluffy. Meanwhile, scrape and slice the carrots in thin pennies. Boil with the peas in salted water for about 5 minutes until just tender. Turn off the heat and leave in the pan in the water. Halve, peel and finely chop the onion, soften in 1 tbsp duck fat or vegetable oil in a spacious, lidded sauté/frying pan, adding a pinch of salt, covering the pan and stirring occasionally. You want it lightly coloured and slippery soft, so adjust the heat accordingly. Meanwhile, pick over the duck, removing fat and chopping into bite-size chunks. Sift the flour into the softened onion stirring until disappeared. Add any leftover meat juices or gravy and stock (or carrot water). Simmer, stirring for a few minutes until thick. Stir in carrot and peas scooped out of the water. Fold the meat into the mix. Pile into a 2 litre capacity, 4cm deep earthenware, ceramic or glass dish. Leave to cool, then pile the mash over the top, making swirls with a fork. Bake, on a baking sheet in case of spillage, for 30 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden.