Mutton, Celeriac and Sweet Potato Pie

How often do you eat mutton? If the answer is “rarely” or “never”, then why so? Mutton is a fantastic source of protein and essential micronutrients, it tastes just as good as lamb - just slightly less sweet - and in my opinion, it is a more ethical and sustainable meat to choose over lamb. Firstly, the animal has lived a longer life, and secondly, what else are they going to do with the sheep?

This dish is my own take on a classic Shepherd’s Pie, using some slightly more interesting vegetables for the mash and mutton instead of lamb for the mince. It is gluten-free, and I made mine cow’s-milk-dairy-free, but it can readily be made without any dairy. Celeriac is much lower in carbs that sweet potato, but also a lovely source of fibre, and the kind of vegetable we don’t commonly add to our diets, so all the more reason to throw it into this recipe.

It’s a really easy dish to cook for all the family, or to cook in a bulk and split it into portions for the week or the freezer!

TIME: up to 1.5 hours

SERVES: 4 - 6 people depending on portion sizes

SEASON: Autumn, Winter, Spring

INGREDIENTS:

500g mutton mince (I get mine from Piper’s Farm - use JADE10 for 10% off your first order)

1/2 a celeriac

1 large sweet potato

1 large onion

Organic grass-fed beef tallow or ghee for cooking

2 medium carrots

Large handful of mushrooms

1/2 large courgette

3 large cloves garlic

Sea salt

Black pepper

Small glass of red wine (c. 125ml)

1 heaped tsp of dried mixed herbs (can also use increase quantities of fresh herbs)

300ml organic passata (preferably in a glass jar to reduce changes of it containing BPAs)

40-50g organic grass-fed butter/goat’s butter for the mash (can be subbed for tallow or olive oil if dairy free)

4 tbsps nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Hard strong cheese (optional) - I used goat’s milk gouda

METHOD:

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2.     Peel, chop and boil the celeriac and sweet potato for at least 15-minutes or until soft.

3.     Meanwhile, in a large, deep frying pan or casserole dish, finely dice and sauté the vegetables in ghee or tallow for 3-4 minutes.

4.     Add a couple of generous pinches of sea salt, some black pepper to taste and the finely chopped/crushed garlic.

5.     Mix in the raw mutton mince, and stir continuously as it begins to cook through.

6.     Once the mince has browned off, add in a small glass of red wine and the herbs and allow to cook for a few more minutes before adding the passata and stirring through.

7.     Ensure that the meat is fully covered in the sauce. If you need a little more liquid, add a small amount of filtered water, then cover and simmer on a low to medium heat while you blend the mash.

8.     Drain the sweet potato and celeriac and return to an empty pan. Add the butter, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and some more sea salt then mash with a potato masher until smooth / the consistency you are happy with.

9.     Check you are happy with the flavour of the mince (or if it needs more seasoning). Then transfer it into a medium to large ceramic roasting dish. Spoon the celeriac and sweet potato mash on top and even it out across the surface (ideally so that it meets all the edges).

10.  Optional: Grate some cheese on top and then place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how crispy you want the surface to be).

11.  Serve with sautéed greens and enjoy.