Country Captain Pie Recipes

THE BEST SHEPHERD'S PIE (COTTAGE PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Add the olive oil and diced onion to a 12" skillet and cook on medium heat.
• Once the onions have become soft and translucent (about 5 minutes) add the ground meat, dried parsley, rosemary, dried thyme and black pepper.
• Cook and crumble the meat until it is no longer pink.
• If you are using a lean ground beef, you shouldn't have much excess grease. However, if your meat did produce a lot of grease, be sure to drain most of it out and put it back into your pan.
• Then add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and tomato paste. Cook 5 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the frozen peas and carrots and the beef broth and combine well. At this point I like to taste it and see if it needs any additional salt and pepper.
• Cover pan and turn heat to low and start peeling potatoes. Cut them into small 1-2" pieces.
• Add to water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until potatoes are fork tender).
• Drain potatoes and add the sour cream, butter and ranch seasoning. Mash well until no lumps remain.
• Remove rosemary stalk and add meat mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes evenly.
• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pie starts to bubble at the sides. I place a piece of foil or large baking sheet on the shelf underneath to catch any overspill.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S FISHERMAN'S PIE

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water and to a boil; add russet potatoes to boiling water and cook until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Mash in 3 tablespoons butter until thoroughly combined. Season with nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Mash 1/2 cup milk into potato mixture until smooth.
• Drizzle olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add spinach, and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels to wick away excess moisture.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk mixture to a smooth paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has a nutty smell and is slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic; whisk until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds.
• Whisk 1 cup cold milk into flour mixture; cook until thickened. Whisk in remaining 1 cup milk and lemon zest. Bring white sauce to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly; season with salt. Turn heat to very low and keep sauce warm.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8x12-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Season buttered pan with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Lay boneless cod fillets into the pan in a single layer. Season tops of fillets with more salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Spread spinach evenly over fish and drizzle with lemon juice. Spoon white sauce over spinach; give casserole dish several taps and shakes to eliminate bubbles.
• Drop mashed potatoes by heaping spoonfuls over the casserole and spread smoothly to cover. Place dish onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes. Turn on oven's broiler and broil until potato crust has a golden brown top, about 2 minutes. Fish should flake easily. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of chives.

COUNTRY PIE

Steps:

• Crust: Combine ground beef, 1/2 a can of tomato sauce, bread crumbs, onion, green pepper & spices.
• Pat mixture down & up sides of a 9 inch pie plate (I use a deep dish).
• Set aside.
• Filling: Combine rice, all the remaining tomato sauce (1 1/2 cans), 1 cup water & 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Pour on top of crust.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle with rest of cheese & bake 10 -15 more minutes or.
• until cheese is melted.