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&#8220;There are so many dishes that I feel are iconic; classic pieces of culinary genius that will never go out of fashion or style. And The Mariners’ shepherd’s pie is exactly that. The twist I’ve given this beauty is that, rather than the traditional mint sauce, we serve it with a salsa verde that incorporates three types of soft herb and anchovies, which work so beautifully with the braised lamb&#8221; ~ Paul Ainsworth.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="747" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER-747x1000.jpg" alt="The Mariners’ Shepherd’s Pie with Salsa Verde - FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD. IMAGE CREDIT ISSY CROKER" class="wp-image-34821" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER-747x1000.jpg 747w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER-598x800.jpg 598w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER-768x1028.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER-1147x1536.jpg 1147w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/09/The-Mariners-Shepherds-Pie-with-Salsa-Verde-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-FOOD.-IMAGE-CREDIT-ISSY-CROKER.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 747px) 100vw, 747px" /></figure>



SERVES 4 &#8211; 6



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mariners-shepherd-s-pie-with-salsa-verde">The Mariners’ Shepherd’s Pie with Salsa Verde </h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ingredients">INGREDIENTS</h2>



Brine (see below)



1.5 kg lamb shoulder, boned and rolled



4 tbsp olive oil



50 ml white wine vinegar



300 ml white wine



2 litres lamb stock



3 sprigs of thyme



3 sprigs of rosemary



3 garlic cloves



200 g smoked bacon, diced (or lardons)



3 carrots, peeled and finely diced



1 large white onion, finely diced



3 celery sticks, finely diced



20 g tomato purée



30 ml balsamic vinegar



300 ml red wine



1 x 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes



2 plum tomatoes, deseeded and diced



10 g dried seaweed



2 tbsp sherry vinegar



10 large mint leaves, chopped



For the salsa verde



80 ml extra virgin olive oil



1 shallot, diced



20 g mint, leaves picked



20 g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked



20 g basil, leaves picked



4 anchovy fillets (boquerones)



Zest and juice of ½ lemon



1 tbsp white wine vinegar



¼ tsp ground cumin



2 pinches of sea salt



For the mashed potato



850 g peeled potatoes (Désirée or Lovers)



200 g salted butter, diced



Splash of whole milk



¼ whole nutmeg, grated



50 g Cheddar, grated



50 g Red Leicester, grated



To serve



200 g lamb mince



6 mint leaves, finely chopped



½ lemon zest



For the brine



2 litres water



100 g table salt



40 g caster sugar



6 sprigs of thyme



6 sprigs of rosemary



4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed



5 black peppercorns



5 coriander seeds



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-method">METHOD</h2>



To make the brine, bring all of the brine ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar and salt. Leave to cool. Submerge the lamb in the cold brine for 24 hours.



Now make the salsa verde. 



Take a small frying pan and gently warm a little of the oil. Add the shallot and cook over a low heat until soft, then add the remaining oil and warm through to about 70°C. Pour the oil and shallot mixture over the herbs. Stir well and then add the anchovies, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, cumin and sea salt. Transfer to a blender and blitz smooth. Keep in a jar, semi-chilled.



Preheat the oven to 120°C fan.



Next, place a large casserole over a medium–high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb shoulder and brown the meat all over, then remove from the pan and add the vinegar to deglaze.



Once the vinegar is reduced, add the white wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Now add the stock, thyme, rosemary and garlic, bring to the boil and add the lamb. Cover and cook in the oven for 2½–3 hours until the lamb is soft. 



Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave the lamb to cool in the cooking liquor. Pick the cooled meat into nice pieces in a bowl and cover with aluminium foil to keep warm. 



Pass the cooking liquor through a sieve and set aside for the next stage.



Place a shallow casserole over a high heat, add the remaining olive oil and fry the bacon until nice and crisp. Remove the bacon but keep the pan on the heat and add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring, in the bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the celery and cook for 3 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook, stirring, for a further 3 minutes, ensuring the tomato purée doesn’t burn. 







Now deglaze the pan with the balsamic and reduce the vinegar into the vegetables. Add the red wine and reduce right down so that the mixture becomes nice and thick. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and simmer until thick.



Add the lamb braising liquor, bring to a simmer and reduce until you have a lovely, thick, glossy ragù. Now stir through the chopped plum tomatoes, seaweed and crisp bacon. Place the cooked lamb in the sauce and finish with the sherry vinegar and mint. Stir gently so as not to break up the lamb too much. Leave to cool, then spoon into a 20–25 cm pie dish.



Increase the oven temperature to 180°C fan.



Cut the potatoes into roughly the same-sized quarters. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Season the water with sea salt and gently poach the potatoes until soft, then drain into a colander and steam dry. Once they are steamed dry, put the poached potatoes through a ricer and back into the pan. Warm gently over a low heat, add the butter and stir until fully incorporated, then add the milk and stir. Season with the nutmeg and taste. I personally love a thick texture of potatoes for shepherd’s pie but if you want the mash smoother, pass it through a fine sieve as well.



Top the lamb ragù with the potato and bake the pie for 20 minutes.



Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the two cheeses all over the top, then bake for a further 12 minutes until crisp and bubbling.



While the shepherd’s pie is cooking, place the lamb mince into a baking tray and roast for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until really crisp. Remove from the oven and drain the crisp mince on kitchen paper, then place in a bowl and add the mint leaves and lemon zest. Mix well and spoon all over the hot shepherd’s pie. 



Serve in the middle of table, with the salsa verde alongside in a separate bowl. 



Enjoy!



For the Love of Food by Paul Ainsworth (Pavilion Books). Image credit Issy Croker.



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Recipe: The Mariners’ Shepherd’s Pie with Salsa Verde

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