St. George’s Day Celebration 2011

I didn’t personally take any photos, and originally didn’t think I would even blog about this. My brother-in-law offered to take some pictures for me and they turned out great! He and my sister are both graphic designers and are amazing at what they do. Go to his website, check out his work, and then get in touch with him for all your graphic design needs.

There are two parts to this feast. Make that three. You have to have beer (okay, you don’t have to, but it is strongly encouraged). Preferably an English ale. Preferably Boddington’s Pub Ale. If you have never had it, don’t wait until St. George’s Day 2012, go out and get some now (only, of course, if you’re older than 21). Let it set out for a minute (or five) and enjoy it at cellar temperature (13 °C/55 °F). Then come back here and thank me. Okay, that isn’t necessary, but you’ll probably want to.

Sorry–back to the two parts of this feast. The first is shepherd’s pie. The second is a cake decorated like the cross of St. George. The cake isn’t traditional, but it was fun, and who doesn’t love cake?

Shepherd’s Pie
I pulled ideas from Everyday Food magazine and Karen Bove, but there are a lot of additions of my own (and my mom’s).

Note: I made a huge pan of this. If you aren’t feeding an army, feel free to scale it back a little. This fed six for dinner and four leftover portions remained.

3 pounds of ground lamb
about 3 pounds white or gold potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 large carrots, chopped
10 ounces frozen peas
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of dry red wine
approximately 3 cups reduced sodium beef stock
1/2 to 1 cup of milk
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1) Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, cover with water in large pan, and put them on high heat to boil. Cook until to fork tender.
2) Dice the onion and chop the carrots.
3) Brown the meat in two batches over medium high heat. Drain excess fat from the browned meat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens. Add in carrots and allow to soften slightly as well.
4) Add pepper, flour, thyme and stir together for about a minute until the flour is absorbed.
5) Add the peas, wine, and broth. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy is thickened. Add more broth as needed to achieve a consistency that you are happy with.
6) Mash the potatoes with milk and a little butter (if desired).
7) Spread the beef and vegetable mixture in a large baking dish and spread the potatoes over the top.
8) Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 425* until bubbly and heated through, about 20-25 minutes. (Our pan was really full so we placed it on a foil lined baking sheet to catch spills and save the oven. Do this even if you’re not sure if it will bubble over. You’ll be glad you did.)

Tagged as: cake, celebration, lamb, party, Saint George, shepherd's pie, strawberries