Shepherds Pie with lamb

The Build

1. Peel and chop your potatoes into about 1 inch cubes
2. Throw them in a pot and fill water till it's about 2 inches higher than your potatoes and bring the water to a boil; about 20-30 minutes.
3. In a cast iron skillet on medium heat, begin browning your meat
4. While the meat is browning, mince the thyme and rosemary, and garlic. Preheat your oven at 425 at this point as well.
5. Once your meat is browned (about 5 minutes or so) drain as much juice as possible. The key to a good Shepherd's pie is keeping the grease down to a minimum. Grate your onion and carrot into the mince. and stir and cook on medium for about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in your tomato paste, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce; about 1 minute.
7. Add red wine, fresh thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Let this cook down for about 2 minutes.
8. Add the chicken stock and let this cook down for about 15 minutes. You should have reduced the volume by about 50 percent(ish)
9. While the mince is cooking down, your potatoes should be ready. Check with a fork, it should easily go through without any resistance. Drain and place in a bowl.
10. Mash the potatoes, then add egg, and butter. Add milk in about 1/4 cup at a time until its at the right consistency.
11. Mix in about 4 oz of freshly grated Parmesan, granulated garlic, salt and pepper
12. You should have a super thick potato mash. This is important because it helps with spreading and will make for a better pie. Note: If I know the whole batch is going in 1 meal, I'll keep this in a cast iron skillet. It looks a lot more authentic to me in a skillet.
13. With a spatula, spread the potato mash evenly across the skillet, covering all your mince. Then, with a fork, fluff the top of the potatoes, and top with the remaining Parmesan. This will give you golden brown bits on top!
14. Bake for about 15 minute, or until the mash is a beautiful golden brown.