Ingredients
- 1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3/4 pound lean ground pork
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried savory
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
- 1 large or 2 small baking potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced, and blanched
- Pastry for a double crust pie, recipe follows, or store bought
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Directions
In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Add the pork, beef, Essence, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until the meat is well browned, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and celery and cook until vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the savory, thyme, and flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water, tomato paste, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the meat is tender and flavorful. Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a mixing bowl and refrigerate, covered, until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of the dough out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Gently fold the pastry circle in half, then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold it into a 9 1/2 or 10 by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Trim the edges so that they are even and extend about 1/2-inch beyond the edge of the pie pan. Spoon half of the chilled meat mixture into the pie crust. Place the blanched potato slices overlapping one another over the top of the meat filling, pressing downward to flatten layers, then top with the remaining meat filling. Lightly brush the edges of the overhanging pastry with some of the beaten egg yolk. Again on a lightly floured work surface, roll the remaining pastry disk out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Fold the pastry as before, then transfer it to the top of the pie and gently unfold it. Trim the edges so that they match up with the bottom crust and press to seal. Using your fingers, carefully tuck any excess pastry into the side of the pie pan and, using your fingers or a fork, press or crimp the pastry in regular intervals to form a decorative edge. Using a sharp knife, cut several small steam vents in the top of the pastry so that steam may escape while the pie is cooking. Refrigerate the pie for at least 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and position an oven rack on the lowest rung of the oven.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the pie with some of the remaining beaten egg. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake the pie until the crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 additional minutes.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.
Basic Pie Crust for a Savory Pie:
- 3 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening
- 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. Work the ice water into the mixture with your fingers until the dough just comes together; be careful not to overmix. Divide the dough into 2 disks, 1 slightly larger than the other*, and wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight before rolling out.
* The larger portion of dough should be used for the bottom crust of the pie.
Yield: 1 (9 or 10-inch) double pie crust
Photo: Miss Hilda's Meat and Potato Pie Recipe
















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By Bizsmom
Suwanee, GA
on December 15, 2011
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Wonderful taste and beautiful, richly colored seasoned meat! Didn't use the savory (didn't have it...don't think I missed it but followed the recipe exactly otherwise. The flavoring was unique and definitely benefitted from the "cooling off/waiting period" for the flavors to really meld. The ONLY thing that I would do differently next time would be to eliminate the 1 cup of water: the 2 cups of chicken broth provided plenty of liquid and despite cooking it longer (stovetop it was still too loose. It solidified nicely after the rest in the fridge, but when I baked it, there was a lot more juice in the pie that made slicing and serving a bit of a challenge. Everyone in my family had two pieces...it's that good!
By cassie_blincoe_...
Smithville, TX
on September 04, 2007
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The spices are complex and took away from any flavoring the meat actually had to offer. Cinnamon and cloves gave it a taste that I would not choose. Almost an Indian Flare. The process of cooking the pie seemed more involved than what the pie actually offered. It did inspire me to do some tweaking of my own to make it a WOW FACTOR.
By doraziob_7098983
MARLBORO, NY
on January 22, 2007
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I have never made a shepherd's pie before, and this recipe was not only delicious, but easy to make. My whole family absolutely loved it.
Read all 5 reviews