Shepherd’s Pie with Kale from Five and Spice

Ingredients

6 Tbs. butter, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
a generous 1 lb. of ground lamb (beef will also work)
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 cup red wine (or more broth)
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. each chopped rosemary and thyme
1 1/2 cups peas (frozen or fresh)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup cream (or milk)
1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche (or another splash of cream)
about 3 cups finely chopped kale

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F. In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbs. butter over medium high heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the onion, carrot, and lamb and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat into small bits, until the meat is well browned and the onion is softened (about 10 minutes).
2. Drain off as much of the fat as you can, then stir in the rosemary, thyme, tomato paste, broth, and wine and stir well. Taste and add salt to taste. Cook at a simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes, then stir in the peas and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
3. While the lamb is cooking, put the potato chunks in a pot with just enough water to cover them. Bring them to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are quite tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain the potatoes into a colander.
4. Return the empty potato pot to the stove and add a Tbs. of butter. Melt the butter over medium-high heat, then stir in the kale and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the kale is all wilted, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cream, the remaining butter, and the potatoes. Mash the potatoes until they are creamy and well mixed with the kale. Mash in the sour cream and more salt to taste.
5. Put the lamb mixture into a large baking dish, then spread the potato-kale mixture over the top. Put the shepherd’s pie into the oven and bake until the top is starting to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes. Then, take out of the oven and serve.

Yield 6 servings.

Source: Five and Spice – Shepherd’s Pie with Kale