#shepard's pie

[t-rattykatyy]

Day 2 & 3

Back to work I go, the shading is throwing me off, especially since it doesn't really match my art style, but oh well, I'm learning still.

I really wanted to show how different the two are with sunsets, so take that as you will. I also hate how low the quality got.

[rabbitcruiser]

Gravy Day

Honoring Paul Kelly's festive ballad, celebrating familial bonds and memories, adds a melodic touch to Christmas traditions.

Who knew it would be possible to show some love and appreciation for an incredible sauce and an incredible musician all on the same day? Well, most Australians knew because that’s what celebrating Gravy Day is all about! 

History of Gravy Day

Just four days before the celebration of Christmas, many Australians are busy enjoying another sort of day that has gained a rather popular following over the years. Commemorating the somewhat sad-but-beloved Christmas song by Paul Kelly, How to Make Gravy, this event takes place on the day mentioned in the song, December 21. 

Those who aren’t as aware of Australian music might have missed this 1996 folk release, but the song tells the story of a recently incarcerated man, Joe, who is lamenting the fact that he’ll be missing Christmas with his family. Since Joe is the one who usually makes the gravy for the holiday meal, he passes on the recipe in the song. As it turns out, the recipe for the gravy – including flour, salt, red wine and tomato sauce – is a real recipe that the songwriter had gleaned from his first father-in-law.

Gravy Day pays heed to this bittersweet song and the Australian tradition that has gone along with it for more than a quarter of a century!

How to Celebrate Gravy Day

Australians and people from all over the world can get involved in Gravy Day festivities by celebrating with some of these ideas:

Make Some Gravy

Sure, it’s a bit early for Christmas, but perhaps Gravy Day is just the time to make, or at least prepare to make, the gravy for the big holiday meal. Gather the important ingredients included in Kelly’s song, or choose another recipe from a family member or friend.

Play and Sing Paul Kelly Songs

Spend Gravy Day in a festive manner by singing a range of different folk, rock and country music songs by one of Australia’s most well-known singer-songwriters, Paul Kelly. With twenty-eight studio albums, six live albums and still more compilations and video albums, there will be no shortage of opportunities to build a soundtrack in celebration of Gravy Day!

Start a playlist on Spotify, Apple Music or another favorite platform and begin with some of these songs, one from each decade of Kelly’s career:

Before Too Long (1986)

Careless (1992)

Sure Got Me (2004)

Finally Something Good (2017)

Tell Some Gravy-Themed Jokes

Enjoy some fun and silliness on Gravy Day by sharing a few lighthearted jokes that have to do with the topic of the day: gravy! Who knew that gravy could bring such a laugh? Get the kids involved to make it even more fun and consider some of these jokes to get started with: 

Why do I love gravy so much? It’s my main sauce of affection!

What did the gravy say to the mashed potatoes? You are a-peeling!

How do mashed potatoes travel? They take the gravy train.

What did the gravy say about the angry potatoes? Taters gonna tate.

Source

[addisonarvad]

shepard's pie moodboard for @owchie-wowchie!!

x x x / x x x / x x x

[pflugysfood]

Shepard's pie!

[nickim93]

Chef Ramsay. Shepard's Pie Review.

  I saw this featured on the Youtube channel Timmy's Takeout, I am a huge fan of Timmy and he was trying out these Gordon Ramsay frozen mea

[peekaroo]

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

[ineffablecooking]

Ineffable Cooking Presents:

Sonoma Valley Shepherd's Pie w/ Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes 🐐🧀🍷

From Old Vines

By @sevdrag

Know one thing and one thing about me: Goat cheese. I take goat cheese extremely seriously. Seriously as in it is my goddamn job to eat as much as possible when available. Goat cheese or chèvre is the most loveliest and versatile of cheeses. From savory dishes, to desserts (will never forget the goat cheese maple ice cream I had one summer in Chicago) it's the most magical fucking thing.

If there was ever a way to turn a dish or recipe up to 11, it would be finding a way to add goat cheese some how .

And we are living in goat cheese renaissance btw! Blueberry vanilla gc, everything bagel crusted gc, omg the honey gc!! It's a magical time for chèvre right now.

And that brings us to this recipe. There was never a doubt what it was going to be. I love Shepard's pie. It's the perfect comfort food. And so rich and lovely. And then I saw the goat cheese mashed potato twist. And it sealed it.

Let me tell you, this was the best Shepard's pie I've ever eaten. I'm extremely prejudice because of the aforementioned gc, but this is the only way I'm Shepard's pie from now on is this recipe.

Let's do it.

Mashed potatoes:

3 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes

5 large garlic cloves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

7 to 8 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, at room temperature. Plain is fine.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup half-and-half or milk (I used heavy cream cuz I had it)

1/2 cup or however much you want freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the potatoes, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender.

Drain the potatoes and garlic. I can't recommend this to everyone, but I used a food processor to incorporate the garlic into the potatoes with interesting results:

While the potatoes are still hot, stir in the goat cheese, butter, sour cream, half-and-half, 4 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper until smooth.

Set aside while getting the beef mixture ready.

Ground beef part

Crushed Tomatoes (I prefer colavita boxed and that's what i used but one regular can is fine)

1/2 Yellow Onion

20 ounce Ground Beef

3 Celery stalks

2 tablespoon Flour

3 Carrots

2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Beef Stock Concentrate

Trim, peel, and halve carrot. Chop crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Finely dice celery (the most satisfying veggie to chop imo). Finely chop onion.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large (I went too small and suffered for it), preferably oven proof, pan over medium-high heat. Add carrot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Add celery, onion, and a large drizzle of oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until veggies are just tender, 5-7 minutes. TIP: If veggies begin to brown too quickly, add a splash of water. Stir in garlic powder. cook until fragrant.

Add beef to pan with veggies and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined, 1 minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes ¾ cup water into pan with beef mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup beef stock and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is very thick. Turn off heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. TIP: If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer mixture now to a baking dish.

Mashed potatoes meet beef mixture

Top the beef filling with an even layer of the goat cheese mashed potatoes, leaving a gap around edge of pan.

(Note: I put nearly all the mashed potatoes onto the beef filling. And you know what happened? Gravity. The density of the mashed potatoes pushed the filling to the edges. The ratio to potatoes to mixture favored potato heavily.

But it was still the best Shepard's Pie I've ever eaten so in the end the lesson is just because you have a ton of amazing mashed potatoes does not mean they must be added to the mixture. However delicious it may be.)

Anyway

Top with parmesan. Personally, I went a little wild with the shredded parmesan and used maybe over a smidge over a cup....

But is there ever a thing as too much cheese? Not in this house.

Broil until browned, 3-4 minutes. Serve directly from pan.

And of course would it be an Old Vines recipe if we didn't have wine? (Or any other meal for that matter lol)

Our zinfandel:

From now on whenever I make shepherd's pie, this is now my preferred method. Goat cheese mashed potatoes or go home. And it's all thanks to @sevdrag fantastic fic. If you haven't read it, please do.

And if you're feeling bold, you might have room for some of Tracy's wedding cake too 😉

[animehotpot]