The war between France and England continues: hachis parmantier or shepherd’s pie? Two very similar recipes, the main difference between them is in the cheese. With the English one you can only use cheddar, while the French give you a choice: gruyère, emmental, comté.
The war between France and England continues: hachis parmantier or shepherd’s pie? Two very similar recipes, the main difference between them is in the cheese. With the English one you can only use cheddar, while the French give you a choice: gruyère, emmental, comté.- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 8-10
- Difficulty: easy
- Course: main course
- Cookware: baking dish, potato peeler, potato masher
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the hachis:
- 700 g minced beef
- 3 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- oil for frying
- 70 g butter
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
For the mashed potatoes:
- 3 kg potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 700 ml milk
- 150 g butter
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- 200 g emmental, grated
- butter for greasing
Cooking method
Step 1
Pour cold water into a saucepan, add salt and potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until tender. Drain and mash potatoes. Add milk and butter, while mashing. Season with salt, nutmeg, and mix well.
Step 2
Pour oil into a frying pan, add butter, and lightly fry the onions. Add the minced meat, mix with the onions, season with salt and pepper, and fry until tender.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 200°C. Butter the baking dish, spread half of the mashed potatoes in an even layer, top with meat and cover with the second part of the mash. Scatter with the cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
My tips and tricks:
Always use warm milk and room temperature butter for the potato mash. If the milk is cold, the potatoes will change colour. And do not overdo it when mashing the potatoes, otherwise your purée may take the form of a gummy paste.
- For the hachis:
- 700 g minced beef
- 3 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- oil for frying
- 70 g butter
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- For the mashed potatoes:
- 3 kg potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 700 ml milk
- 150 g butter
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- 200 g emmental, grated
- butter for greasing
- Pour cold water into a saucepan, add salt and potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until tender. Drain and mash potatoes. Add milk and butter, while mashing. Season with salt, nutmeg, and mix well.
- Pour oil into a frying pan, add butter, and lightly fry the onions. Add the minced meat, mix with the onions, season with salt and pepper, and fry until tender.
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Butter the baking dish, spread half of the mashed potatoes in an even layer, top with meat and cover with the second part of the mash. Scatter with the cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.