just like mémé used to make

My Moroccan mother-in-law was a wonderful cook who could easily whip up a feast for 20 or 30 people without breaking a sweat. Her multi-course menus would include a variety of salads, a fish course, sometimes a soup, and several meat and vegetable entrees. Not to mention the spread she put out with our apéritif. To top it all off, she would cater to my finicky kids by making a special dish on the side for them: either her famous noodles cooked with chicken or, if they were really lucky, a casserole of Pastella, the Moroccan version of shepherd’s pie. The slowly simmered, gently spiced ground beef and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes made my kids swoon with delight and made everyone else at the table happy, too. This beloved dish is comfort food personified and I’m honored to recreate for you here. I just hope Marie would be proud.

Moroccan Shepherd’s Pie

I have, as usual, put my own spin on this dish…just a little. Not sure if my mom-in-law used wine, but I’m simmering my beef in Cabernet Sauvignon. And my mashed potatoes have just a soupçon of butter and cream–something Marie would never have included in her kosher kitchen. The meat is fragrantly laced with cumin; the potatoes benefit from a hit of saffron. This is definitely a casserole you can cozy up to.
 
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the diced onions, carrots and garlic and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Place the ground beef in the pan and brown, stirring occasionally.
 
 
When the meat is no longer pink, drain any excess fat from the pan. Tie together the bay leaf with sprigs of rosemary and thyme and add to the pan. Pour in the dry red wine and beef stock. 
 
 
Sprinkle the ground cumin over the beef and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook down for 10 minutes.
 
 
Place the peeled chunks of potato in a large pot, cover with water and add a tablespoon of sea salt. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.
 


Drain the potatoes in a colander, reserving a tablespoon of the cooking water in a small bowl. Use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes. A potato masher will work, as well–just be sure the potatoes are finely mashed.

 
Add the heavy cream and melted butter to the potatoes. Crush a large pinch of saffron into the reserved potato cooking water and stir in with the mash.
 
 
Combine the egg yolks with the potatoes and stir to blend. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
 
 
Remove the herb bundle from the meat, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Lightly butter or oil a 2 quart casserole. Here again I differ from Marie’s style: she would place a layer of potato at the bottom of the casserole, then the meat, and finish with potato on top. I prefer a more free-form dish. Using a slotted spoon, layer the meat mixture on the bottom of the casserole.
 
 
Spoon large dollops of the mashed potatoes over the beef, using the back of the spoon to seal around the edges. Use a fork to make crosshatch marks on top of the potato mixture. 
 
 
Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with a green salad tossed with a grainy mustard vinaigrette and a glass of that Cabernet Sauvignon. Bon appetit!


Serves 6:

 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pounds ground beef, preferably chuck
1 bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
2/3 cup dry red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup beef stock
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
 
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of saffron
3 extra large egg yolks
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper


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