Kumara Topped Shepherds Pie Recipes

CHEDDAR-TOPPED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set beef filling aside.
• Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.
• Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

KUMARA OR SWEET POTATO PIE (NEW ZEALAND)

Steps:

• In a large bowl sift together the flour and icing sugar. Add the butter and use your fingertips to gently rub and combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs of different sizes but none larger than a pea.
• Add the ice-cold water and gently mix with your hands until mixture comes together. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate while you steam the sweet potato.
• Steam sweet potato chunks until tender.
• Place chunks into a blender or food processor along with milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Blend until smooth. Let the mixture cool a little before adding the eggs and vanilla essence and then blend again to combine. Set aside.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).
• Remove pie dough from fridge and place on a floured surface. Roll out to fit larger than the pie tin. Place dough in tin and press down onto base and up the sides with your fingers to make the shell. Trim the sides and then press down with a fork or your fingers.
• Line pastry shell with baking paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until partially cooked. Remove from oven and remove pie weights and baking paper. Cool for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Pour sweet potato mixture into the pie shell and bake for a further 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
• Serve with whipping cream or vanilla Ice cream on the side.

KUMARA TOPPED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Heat pan with some cooking spray, add onion and cook until soft.
• Add mince and cook until colour has changed.
• Add water, stock powder, wine, herbs, tomato paste, peas and corn and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender.
• Blend cornflour with extra water and stir into mince mixture until it boils and thickens.
• Transfer into a greased ovenproof dish and cover with kumara topping (can be piped on for a decorative look).
• Bake uncovered in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned on top.
• TOPPING: Boil potatoes and kumaras until tender and then drain.
• Place them in a bowl together with the milk, margarine, salt and pepper and mash until smooth.