Try something different and make Shepherd's or, rather, Cottage Pie for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is in a couple of days, and most years, I load up my slow cooker with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots.

This year I decided to make something different and remembered Shepherd's Pie. I have made several recipes for this casserole before, starting with cooked ground beef, chopped carrots and onions topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes.

Even though I thought I had a good recipe for Shepherd's Pie, I decided to do some research and discovered what I had been making was not an authentic Shepherd's Pie

According to several internet and print sources, including a book titled "My Irish Table," an authentic Shepherd's Pie is made with chunks of lamb, not beef, and the meat is not ground.

In the book's introduction to the Shepherd's Pie recipe, the author writes, "Most versions are made with beef, and ground beef at that, but that doesn't really make sense because why would shepherds have beef? Shepherds tend lambs."

It goes on to mention Shepherd's Pie is an interpretation of a French dish called Hachis Parmentier, but what makes it genuinely Irish is that there are potatoes in the meat mixture. For those who are curious, Hachis Parmentier is a casserole made of leftover pot roast or beef stew topped with mashed potatoes and a layer of Emmental cheese - sounds tasty to me.

In the end, I learned more than I thought I would and was pleased to learn the "pie" I had become accustomed to enjoying was actually Cottage Pie.

One of my go-to recipe sources is America's Test Kitchen (ATK), and theirs is the recipe I usually follow, albeit with a few changes.

As the name implies, ATK tests different recipe versions and is good at explaining what worked and what didn't. In this recipe, they acknowledge a traditional Shepherd's Pie is made with braised chunks of meat but felt it was a bit heavy and time-consuming and opted for lean ground beef instead. They also suggest cooking everything in an oven-safe skillet to eliminate extra pots and pans. Still, it is perfectly fine to cook everything on the stove and then layer the ingredients in an ovenproof pan of your choice instead.

Then, with their scientist hats on, they share how adding baking soda helps keep the ground beef tender by raising the pH and keeping the proteins from bonding too tightly. They also simmer it with the gravy instead of searing it by itself and warn not to use ground beef of less than 93% as it will be too greasy.

To achieve the flavor usually developed by browning meat, they suggest sauteing onions, mushrooms and tomato paste in a skillet until dark bits form. You will think it is burning, but it won't as long as you keep stirring. Worcestershire sauce and beef broth help to round out the flavors.

Mashed potatoes should be creamy, not grainy or paste-like, and in this recipe, an egg yolk is added along with milk and butter to russet potatoes to achieve this. In addition, potatoes are drained after boiling and placed back in the cooking vessel and on the heat again to allow any remaining water to evaporate. This is an important step, so don't skip it.

When it is time to layer on the mashed potatoes, and if you're feeling creative, consider using a piping bag and large piping tip to add your potatoes in a decorative pattern, or distribute them evenly atop the beef mixture and drag the tines of a fork over the top in a pattern of your choice. You will be rewarded when the dish comes out of the oven as the potato ridges will brown, adding texture and pretty color.

So, if you want to try something different this year for St. Patrick's Day or perhaps a new Shepherd's (Cottage) Pie recipe, try this one. My family has enjoyed it no matter what time of the year I have made it, and after reading the information about the French version, I may add a little cheese to my potato mixture.

If you make this recipe, have a tip, or are searching for a recipe you cannot find, please let me know. I always enjoy hearing from you. And to all my Irish friends - Happy St. Patrick's Day.

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

Shepherd's (Cottage) Pie

1½ pounds 93% lean ground beef

2 tablespoons cold water

Salt and pepper

½ teaspoon baking soda

2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

4 tablespoons melted butter

½ cup milk or half & half

1 large egg yolk

8 green onions, green parts only, sliced thin

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons red wine or beef stock

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1¼ cups beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

½ to 1 cup defrosted frozen peas (if desired)

2 teaspoons cornstarch plus 2 teaspoons cold water

Place ground beef in bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In separate small bowl, combine the tablespoons of water and baking soda until dissolved. Pour over ground beef and using a fork, stir to combine. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium saucepan; add water to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Heat saucepan over low heat, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture on potatoes has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk in a small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of the skillet, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until the bottom of the skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine or beef stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf and carrots; bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through.

Stir cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water together in a bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into the filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove the bay leaf and add peas if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust the oven rack to 5 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off 1 corner to create a 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure to cover the entire surface. Smooth potatoes with the back of a spoon, then use the tines of a fork to make ridges over the surface. (Or use a large piping bag and tip to make a more decorative design.) Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and the filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Don't use ground beef that's fattier than 93% or the dish will be greasy.

Serves 6 to 8

Adapted by Penny Kazmier from America's Test Kitchen