freshly ground black pepper FOR THE PIE2 pounds red potatoes, chopped
duck fat (which you will have from roasting the duck)
1 red onion, peeled and thickly sliced
3 sticks celery, diced
6 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sticks rhubarb, minced
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup beer
2 cups beef stock (I have lots of duck stock so I use that but beef should be fine unless you are really on top of it and get the duck meat torn off the carcass early enough to make stock - if so you are awesome)
4 tablespoons butter
warm milk
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions
So early in the day, or the day before, get your duck roasted. To do this preheat your oven to 350˚.
Get out a roasting pan and place your duck on it. Rub the cavity with salt and pepper and then stuff the orange and herbs into it.
Place it into the oven, breast side down for 1 hour.
After the hour, flip the duck over so it is breast side up and roast for another hour.
Once done, pull the duck out and allow to cool to room temperature.
Do not throw out the delicious duck fat in the bottom of your roasting pan. That stuff is gold - seriously it's super expensive to buy and very tasty to cook with so just pour into a jar and save it for frying potatoes or veggies or something. Seriously. Yes, I'm old school that way. Use the ENTIRE duck!
Ok so once the duck is cool enough to handle, tear all the meat off the carcass. Set the carcass aside for making stock - duck stock is delicious - chop the meat into bits and set aside.
Place the chopped potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water to soften while you make the filling.
Heat your oven to 350˚ again.
I have a large dutch oven I like to use for these ventures but if you don't, just use a fry pan for this part. So heat your pan over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of the duck fat.
Once hot, add the onion, celery and garlic, cook and stir until soft.
Then add the rhubarb, duck meat and flour. Stir until everything is coated in the flour.
Pour in the beer and stock, add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir until you have a thick bubbly gravy. Remove from heat and set aside while you make the potatoes.
If you have one of those hand potato masher things, that works great here. If not you can use a stand mixer. The key to a great shepherd's pie though is nice thick, heavy potatoes, if they are too runny they'll just mix into the gravy. So I usually save myself washing another bowl and use the hand masher. If you have one, pour off the water from the pot, add the butter and about ¼ cup warm milk and mash away. If they seem crazy thick you can add a bit more milk.
Plop the potatoes on top of the gravy and smooth out so you have a nice even layer and place the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Recipe by Foods of Our Lives at https://www.foodsofourlives.com/2014/04/duck-shepherds-pie/