Shepherd's Pie

Preheat the oven to 190°C
It's important to note that the lamb much already be cooked - knowing how we do things here in South Africa, there are always leftover lamb chops after a big braai.

(This dish is traditionally made with the leftover leg of lamb)

Begin by deboning the lamb chops and removing some of the excess fat. This takes a bit of effort but it's lockdown and there's plenty of time.

The crucial step in this recipe is that the lamb is then chopped quite finely. Never minced!

In a heavy sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté this until tender on a medium heat. Only then add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a further couple of minutes.

Add the lamb and tomato paste and cook for about two minutes until the tomato is incorporated.

Splash a very generous glass of your drinking red wine and cook down for a further five minutes.

At this point, you season with the Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of fresh nutmeg. Have a taste and if it needs a little salt, you can add to your taste.

Spoon the whole mixture into your favourite pie or lasagna dish and top with the fluffy mashed potatoes. Ensure to create some peaks using a fork on the potatoes to give you those desirable crispy brown bits.

Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes.

Serve with slices of raw red onion and a dash more Worcestershire sauce.