Bright Lights, Big City, Shepherd’s Pie

A recipe for shepherd’s pie (loosely) inspired by Jay McInerney’s novel Bright Lights, Big City

St. Paddy’s day is fast approaching and I am already feeling festive. I mean, a holiday that revolves around beer and Irish food? Sign me up. I already made corned beef and cabbage over the weekend, and now I’m ready for one of my favorites: shepherd’s pie! A casserole made of ground beef, vegetables, and mashed potatoes, this dish is an all-in-one meal.

Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie?

Ok so technically shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is the ground beef version. So technically this is a recipe for cottage pie. However, here in the United States we generally use the term shepherd’s pie to refer to either version. I make my recipe with ground beef, but feel free to use lamb if that’s your jam! You can read more about the differences here.

But first, the literary inspiration

Like I said, this shepherd’s pie is veryyyyy loosely inspired by the novel Bright Lights, Big City. As in a minor character at one point orders shepherd’s pie, and nothing else is said on the subject. However, having recently read this book, I couldn’t pass up the excuse to make one of my favorite dishes.

Bright Lights, Big City takes place in NYC in the 80s, which is pretty apparent from its coke-fueled, yuppie-centric plotline. It follows an unnamed narrator in his twenties, working at a prestigious magazine by day, and embracing New York’s party scene by night–often all night. Following the departure of his wife, who leaves him to pursue a modeling career, the narrator begins to spiral, relying heavily on drugs and barely holding onto his job.

Despite the narrator’s somewhat douchey party bro lifestyle, and despite his best friend who is the literal embodiment of a douchey party bro, this novel is surprisingly pretty emotionally gripping. The narrator struggles–and continually fails–to get his life back on track, overcome by his desire to outrun (or out-snort) his past. It is a moving portrayal of the ways in which we cope, or avoid coping, with loss and grief.

And, hey, what a great excuse to make shepherd’s pie!

Shepherd's Pie

Pin Print

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 whole head garlic, roasted (see notes)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Place the potato chunks in a large pot, cover with water, and salt generously. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until potatoes become fork tender. Drain.
3. In a small sauce pan combine the milk, butter, scallions, roasted garlic, ground white pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the pot with the potatoes and mix together (either with a spoon or with a mixer) until the potatoes are mashed and everything is well blended. Set aside.
5. In a large pan heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onion begins to turn translucent, 5-8 minutes.
6. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until almost completely browned, then add the peas and corn. Continue cooking until beef is browned.
7. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir into the meat mixture.
8. Add the beef broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine. Let simmer 3-4 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
9. Pour the meat mixture into an 9 x 13 Pyrex or casserole dish and use a spoon or spatula to spread evenly. Cover with the mashed potatoes and smooth into an even layer.
10. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown.

Notes

To roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 400. Remove the outer peels of the entire garlic bulb, leaving each of the cloves in their individual peels and keeping the entire bulb intact. Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until garlic is soft. Once cooled, you will be able to squeeze the garlic out of the bulb.

Did You Make This Recipe?

How did it turn out? Tag me on Instagram at @thelitkitch