Shepherd’s Pie: A Culinary Journey Through History and Origins

The Arrival of the Potato

It is impossible to pinpoint the exact creator of the baked dish that is now known as shepherd’s pie.

The English naturalist Sir Thomas Harriot returned from Sir Walter Raleigh’s colony in North Carolina in 1586, bringing with him one of the botanical treasures of the New World – potatoes. Cited in his A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia as “Openavk,” they were described as being very good when “boiled or sodden.”

About three years later, Raleigh is credited with bringing potatoes to Ireland. Meanwhile, according to some other sources, potatoes were brought to Britain by Sir Francis Drake around the same time he returned from his circumnavigation of the world.

The British Isles’ soil and climate were ideal for cultivating the imported tuber. Consequently, as the 17th century approached in England and Ireland, the potato started to gain popularity. However, resistance to the new food imports persisted throughout Europe, and it would take until the 1700s for the potato to become a mainstay of the English diet.

READ MORE: The Irish Famine

People have always sought to maximize the nutritional value of their food, going all the way back to prehistoric times and our days as hunter-gatherers. To ensure that nothing went to waste and to prevent spoiling, food was packed in ice and snow, buried underground, sunk in icy streams, or wrapped in straw.

For the impoverished, knowing how to use leftover food is especially important. Making the most of what you have is crucial when your capacity to acquire more is limited.

So it was in the cottages of the British Isles. Later meals would be made with the leftover meat from the weekend roast, and the arrival of potatoes provided a particularly satisfying way to do it.

This leftover meat could be minced and used to make a pie, with mashed potatoes serving as the topping crust. To further improve the pie, any available vegetables, such as carrots, peas, or onions, could also be added in a layer beneath the potatoes.

The result was something affordable, simple, and hearty. It was the perfect dinner choice for the hardworking farmers and laborers of the British Isles; a pie for the impoverished in their cottages, which is how it got its name, “cottage pie.” ”.

It’s hard to say exactly when this particular dish was created or when it spread. It’s clear that it occurred after potatoes were brought over and planted, but we’re not sure how long it took for the notion of the comforting meat and potato pie to catch on.

We are aware that Reverend James Woodforde of Norfolk’s Diary of a Country Parson from 1791 contains the earliest mention of it. An invaluable look at the day-to-day activities of life in the late 18th century can be gained from Woodforde’s diary, a meticulous recorder of everyday details such as the weather, illnesses, meals, and other minutia from the community.

The Reverend had “Cottage-Pye and rost Beef” on August 29, 1791, according to Volume 13 of his diary. Although it is unlikely that Woodforde invented the term—given his meticulous writing style, he most likely would have mentioned doing so—this is the dish’s name as it has been documented.

However, it appears that the dish’s name wasn’t always consistent. Author Maria Rundell included a brief description of a recipe for something called “Sanders” in her 1806, A New System of Domestic Cookery: Formed Upon Principles of Economy; and Adapted to the Use of Private Families. The recipe called for mashed potatoes over minced beef or mutton, which sounds a lot like cottage pie.

Rundell had lived in Shropshire, in Western England near Wales, while Reverend Woodforde ate his “cottage-pye” in Norfolk, on the Eastern coast. Her cookbook was published when she was about 60 years old, meaning her introduction to the dish she knew as Sanders could have come years before the Reverend’s meal.

That suggests that Sanders may have been a local term for cottage pie or that it was an old term that was about to be replaced by the more modern name. In any case, it proves that the dish was being made throughout the British Isles and was discovered in several locations throughout England.

Cottage Pie vs Shepherd’s Pie

The Practice of Cookery and Pastry, an Edinburgh, Scotland cookbook published in 1849, is where the name “shepherd’s pie” first appeared. As previously mentioned, the terms “cottage pie” and “shepherd’s pie” have been used interchangeably throughout history, and it appears that this instance is no exception. It was specifically mentioned that any type of minced meat could be used.

Interestingly, a later English cookbook – Kettner’s Book of the Table, published in 1877 – also makes mention of shepherd’s pie and refers to it as a Scottish variation of Irish stew. While this is possible, this citation may refer to a specific variant that included a wheat-flour pastry crust on top of the mashed potatoes (something which the English cookbook denounced as too starchy).

Although lamb or mutton were the customary meats used in Irish stew, this reference did not specifically state that they were used in the shepherd’s pie. This leads one to believe that those particular meats were starting to set a shepherd’s pie apart from a cottage pie in the minds of people.

Additionally, traditionally, the potato topping for cottage pies was slices rather than mashed. However, this isn’t always the case; both shepherd’s pies and cottage pies have been made using either method.

However, a lot of sources still appear to use the terms synonymously. Shepherd’s pie is still frequently made today, but instead of the more traditional lamb, other meats like beef or pork are sometimes used.

The history, economies, and politics of the two nations provide the answer to why cottage pie is more strongly associated with England while shepherd’s pie is almost exclusively associated with Ireland, given the hazy histories of both dishes and their frequent interchangeability.

Following a century of turbulent political entanglements between the two nations, English King Henry VIII embarked on a national quest to retake Ireland. By the start of the 17th century, this would become a reality, and widespread colonization and land confiscation would follow.

Ireland would develop into a nation of tenant farmers during the 17th and 18th centuries, producing food for mainly absentee English landlords. Ireland would thus continue to live in abject poverty for many years to come.

As we’ve seen, the English and Scottish also relied on variations of the straightforward meat-and-potato pie, so the frugality this required wasn’t exclusive to Ireland, but the Irish had fewer resources.

Lamb and mutton were inexpensive meats, as compared to beef. It is for this reason that they were a staple in Irish stews and shepherd’s pies, while the British version—where people were more likely to be able to afford beef—became known more popularly as cottage pie.

This was not, of course, a sharp delineation. There was still room for interpretation regarding the distinction between the two dishes, and there were far more options than just selecting between lamb and beef. Nevertheless, due to the general economic circumstances of the two nations, shepherd’s pie (known as Pióg an aoire in Irish) was more common in Ireland than in other parts of the British Isles, with lamb cottage pie being a staple in those regions.

Classic Shepherd’s Pie | Gordon Ramsay

FAQ

Where did shepherds pie originate from?

What is the difference between Irish and British shepherd’s pie?

Is shepherds pie and cottage pie the same?

What is British cottage pie?

Is Shepherd’s Pie a traditional dish?

Shepherd’s Pie is a classic dish that has been enjoyed in both Ireland and England for centuries. However, there is a slight variation in how it is prepared in each of these regions. In Ireland, the dish is traditionally made with lamb, while in England, it is typically made with beef.

Where did Shepherd’s Pie come from?

A favorite comfort food in Irish pubs and homes, the humble shepherd’s pie – a savory baked dish traditionally consisting of mutton or lamb topped with mashed potatoes – was first documented in Scotland in 1849.

Is Shepherd’s pie Irish?

Shepherd’s pie has as much claim to Ireland as any other food. Unlike current variations of corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie actually is an Irish delicacy. The problem is, there isn’t much to the history — at least not in a straightforward way.

Was a shepherd’s Pie a cottage pie?

While this reference did not specify that the shepherd’s pie used lamb or mutton, those were the traditional meats used in Irish stew. This makes it a reasonable assumption that those specific meats were at least beginning to distinguish a shepherd’s pie from a cottage pie in popular understanding.