The menu was: A shepherd's pie which starts with stew, is topped with mashed potatoes that she added some horseradish to - which is, of course, optional, but I liked the sound of it; carrots on the side, rather than in the stew - roasted and topped with a homemade vinaigrette, and an ice box pie which is raspberry (it could be strawberry, if you prefer.) with an Oreo crust.
Beef Stew Shepherd's Pie
Note, if you don't use beer, sub more broth for that portion.
Also, you can cut the recipe down for a smaller meal.
Stew part:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups beef stock
One 12-ounce can beer
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh parsley, optional, for serving.
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per batch; set aside on a plate.
2. Add the onions to the pot. Stir and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions and garlic. Pour in the beef stock, beer and a splash of water, then add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, sugar, paprika, salt and some pepper. Add the beef back to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and simmer until the beef is cooked and the mixture has thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Top with the parsley if using.
3. Note: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add water as needed.
Meanwhile:
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes:
Note - You can make the mashed potatoes any way that you like, if the recipe doesn't appeal to you, or you don't have all of the ingredients.
5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon horseradish cream
1/2 to 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Put them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape before adding in the other ingredients.
3. Turn off the heat and add the butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, horseradish cream, seasoned salt, kosher salt and pepper. Mash to combine. Add the chopped parsley and mix in.
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Put the Beef Stew in a 10-inch skillet or baking dish. Spoon the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes all over the surface of the stew and use a spoon or spatula to spread them out. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings
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