HACHIS PARMENTIER / SAUCE AUX CHAMPIGNONS (SHEPARD'S PIE WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE)

HACHIS PARMENTIER / SAUCE AUX CHAMPIGNONS (SHEPARD'S PIE WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE) image

Categories Beef

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

Ingredients

For the pie:
4 potatoes, about 1 3/4 pounds
3 tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme of 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the sauce:
1/4 lb fresh mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1.2 tsp finely minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream

Steps:

For the pie: 1. Peel the potatoes, cutting each into six pieces of equal size. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer about 20 minutes or until tender. 2. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions wilt. 3. Add the beef and cook, chopping down with the side of a heavy metal spoon to break up the lumps. When the meat has lost its raw color, add salt and pepper to taste, the bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste. Cover and cook about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. 4. Preheat the broiler to high. 5. Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and put them through a food mill or potato ricer. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, stirring until the butter melts. 6. Heat the milk and add it gradually to the potatoes, beating with a wooden spoon. Add salt to taste, the nutmeg, and half the parsley. 7. Add the remaining parsley to the beef mixture. 8. Spoon the beef into a flame-proof baking dish. A dish that measures about 8 by 11 1/2 by 2 inches is ideal for this. Spoon the potatoes over the meat and smoth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with the cheese. 9. Place the dish under the broiler and broil about 5 minutes or less until the potatoes are nicely browned. Serve with mushroom sauce. For the sauce: 1. Slice the mushrooms thinly. There should be about 2 cups. Set aside. 2. Melt 1 tbsp on butter in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion wilts. 3. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Cook until this liquid evaporates. 4. Add the wine. Cook until wine almost evaporates. Add tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook about 15 minutes. 5. Stir the remaining butter into the sauce and add the cream. Bring to the boil and serve hot.