Lambs & Clams: Lamb & Roasted Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
It’s that time again. Lambs & clams time, that is. For the past 2 months I have been doing a post about either lamb or clams for the Charleston Wine + Food Festivals Lamb and Clams contest. The person who wins the most votes over a 4 month period will get an all expense paid trip to the festival in March. To say I am excited about this challenge would be an understatement. I love a good challenge…and especially when it incorporates food.
This month’s challenge is Border Springs Farms Lamb Shoulder.
Now let me just say…lamb + roasted root vegetables in a shepherds pie? Sometimes crazy combos come to me and not always do they create food nirvana, but I can assure you that this combo works…and works very well! I made this for my husband and I for lunch and it was so good I made another baking dish and we had it for dinner the same night. Yep, that good.
Start off by roasting up some roots and onions. I yanked these gorgeous beets and carrots from my garden…..in DECEMBER. Yes, I am baffled by this weather but I am not complaining. Typically we have lots of snow on the ground and I would be wishing I could garden, not actually doing it.
Rough chop up some beets, onions, carrots & fresh sage. Drizzle with olive oil and s&p and roast them with the yams for about 40 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a knife.
After the yams have roasted and cooled, they are easily peeled and mashed with a fork. I added some butter, sour cream and salt and pepper and set them aside while I finished the rest of the dish.
For some added texture, I browned mushrooms with fresh sage, salt and pepper. Toss them in the pan with the roasted roots while you continue with the lamb.
Toss 1 pound of lamb shoulder that’s been cut into bite sized pieces with flour, salt and pepper. Sear on all sides in a tablespoon of butter. As they have browned, remove them to the baking sheet with the roasted root veggies & mushrooms. Repeat with the remaining lamb. No need to cook them all the way through, this is just enough to get a good crust on them that will keep the juices from weeping while it bakes.
Deglaze the pan with red wine. Scrape up all of those delicious browned bits.
Toss in some slivered garlic and more fresh sage and now it’s time to toss all of the lamb and veggies together and top it with the mashed yam. Bake it in the oven for 25 minutes and then it’s game on.
You can vote for this recipe on Charleston Food + Wine’s Facebook page. Thank you for your vote!
Although there are a lot of steps, this dish comes together easily. Reheat any leftovers in the oven as the microwave will make the roasted vegetables rubbery.
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 large yellow onion, peeled & cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 medium carrots, scrubbed, scraped & cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 large yam, scrubbed
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- zest from 1/2 orange
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 4 large mushrooms, cleaned and cut into bit sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, coarsely chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 lb lamb shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cloves garlic, slivered
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small baking dish add the beets, onion, carrots, sage sprigs, tablespoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper and pinch of pepper flakes. Toss gently to coat and roast for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (leave the oven on)
- Add the yams to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a knife. Remove and allow to cool just until you are able to handle them. Put the yam flesh in a medium bowl and add 2 teaspoons butter, sour cream, orange zest and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat an oven proof skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon butter and add the mushrooms, sage and season with salt and pepper. Brown the mushrooms, about 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add to the roasted vegetables.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and pepper and toss the lamb pieces in the flour mixture, removing any excess flour. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining butter. Add the lamb in a single uncrowded layer and brown on each side. Remove to the roasted vegetable dish as they brown, repeat with remaining lamb.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan scraping up the browned bits in the pan, about 1 minute. Add the slivered garlic and sage and add the roasted vegetables, mushrooms and lamb. Toss to coat in the red wine mixture and remove from the heat. Top with the yam mixture and bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top is starting to brown and the lamb mixture is bubbling around the edges. Remove and serve immediately.
See the Other Entries for this Month:
Vivek’s Epicurean Adventure – Spicy Lamb Tacos
Taste Food Blog - Pomegranate Lacquered Lamb with Quinoa Pilaf & Spicy Hummus
A Cook Blog - Cassoulet
Mango Tomato - Lamb Tacos
Eat Drink RI - Braised Lamb Shoulder
Bunkycooks - Lamb au Vin
One Vanilla Bean – Arepas with Shredded Lamb, Sofrito & Herb Oil
