Shell Cottage Shepherd’s Pie | Harry Potter Inspired Recipes
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Shell Cottage plays an important role in the Harry Potter universe. It’s the home of Fleur and Bill – and the burial place of another beloved character.
It’s at Shell Cottage where Ron went for a long while after aburptly leaving Harry and Hermione on their search for Horcruxes. Fleur, while perhaps not well liked by Molly Weasley during their intial meeting, likely formed a close bond after the war ended and would bond over cooking for their families.
Pâté chinois is the French version of cottage pie or shepherd pie – both of which are popular English dishes served regularlly at Hogwarts.
Whether Fleur’s pâté chinois was influenced by her stay at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament or she just intuitively knew that one of Harry’s favorite foods was shepherd pie, it’s certainly a non-magical way to soothe the soul.
One thing is for sure, the meal shared amongst friends at Shell Cottage before parting ways during times of trial and tribulations brought everyone together one last time before the Battle for Hogwarts.
Shell Cottage Shepherd’s Pie | Harry Potter Inspired Recipes
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground beef, lamb or veal
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup tomato chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme + more for topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup sherry
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chicken base
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 package garlic mashed potatoes pre-made or homemade
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Once browned and crumbled, remove the meat from the pot and drain in a collander. Rinse with cold water.
- Without washing the skillet, add the white onion and sauted for 3-5 minutes or until it has started to soften. Then add the peppers, celery, carrots and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Stir in the tomatoes and saute until they've started to lose their moisture. Scatter the flour over the vegetables and stir until the vegetables are coated in flour. Stir in the tomato paste until a thick, sticky mass of vegetables forms. Deglaze the pan with the cooking sherry and scrape up the brown bits.
- Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, chicken base and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the meat back to the pot and stir it all together. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated off.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spoon the meat mixture into the baking dish or individual ramekins. Dollop the mashed potatoe on top of the meat and use the back of the spoon to spread the potatoes into an even layer. If you want, you can also use a knife or fork to cut small designs into the potatos surface!
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and then broil on high for 5-10 additonal minutes – or until the top is sufficiently browned and crisp. If serving in individual ramekins, let cool until ramekins can be handled. If serving from a larger dish, let set for 5-10 minute prior to serving. Enjoy!
