This is classic me-after-a-barbecue-competition cooking. Maybe not the day I get home because that is normally reserved for something salady and light, but this will happily jump into the roster a day or two later when it’s time to start using up a few barbecue leftovers.

You could serve this with a little salad or some steamed vegetables on the side but, quite frankly, I’m happy with it as is.

SMOKED LAMB SHEPHERDS PIE

Serves 4 – 6

1 lamb shoulder that you have already smoked and deboned
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 cup red wine
2 – 3 tablespoons gravy powder whisked into 1 cup of water to make a slurry
Mashed potato to top (recipe follows)

Roughly chop lamb shoulder. You will need 3-4 cups of chopped lamb with any juices that may be remaining from the cooking process.
Get yourself a large cast iron type pan that you can transfer from the stove top to the oven.
Get it over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. Add vegetables, garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté until just starting to brown.
Add chopped lamb, peas, rosemary to pan and cook out for another 5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine.
Add gravy mix and cook out for a further 5 minutes, until gravy has thickened to a nice gravy-like consistency. If you feel like it’s too thick you can loosen it by stirring in a splash of water.
Top with mash via piping bag or spoon and use a fork to make the top look like a plowed field to encourage little charred bits.
Place in a pre-heated 200 C oven and cook for 25 – 30 minutes or until the potato is a bit browned and the lamb gravy is bubbling up around the sides.
Done.
The wise folks out there will now leave this pie for at least 10 minutes so its thermo-nuclear core may temper a little, but I know there will still be many of those who are young or maybe under the influence of the devil’s parsley, who will attack this immediately and just as quickly feel the effects as it removes many layers of skin from the roof of their mouths.
You do you.

MASHED POTATO

500 g dutch cream or desiree potatoes
100 g unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup milk
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Get onto your mashed potato while the lamby goodness is cooking.
Peel your potatoes, cut them into chunks and boil them until they are nice and soft.
Drain potatoes and then mash with butter and milk until smooth.
Add cheese to mash and mix to combine.
Season with salt to taste.