I have a new rule: never make the French Fridays With Dorie recipe on the day that it is due. Especially when you’re also making six litres of Soup for your Housing Co-op’s soup swap.
I will be getting this in just under the wire (I hope) and am now wondering why I took so long to try this recipe. I love Shepherd’s Pie. In fact, it’s really hard to resist ordering it, if it’s available on a menu. Usually, it doesn’t measure up to what I can make at home, with lamb from my parents’ farm. So, homemade Shepherd’s Pie…what was I waiting for? No matter, the leftovers are in my fridge now, along with the soup for tomorrow’s swap.
Hachis Parmentier is essentially Shepherd’s Pie, but much, much richer. I had an elk roast that I’d set aside for this recipe and combined it with some organic beef stewing meat. I looked for gluten-free sausages and finally found some smoked Bison that fit the bill. I had to mince the sausages for the recipe, as they were not crumbly, but they were tastily worth it. Boiling the meat with the vegetables produces a thin, but delicious broth. As a bonus, I was left with enough broth after making the dish, that I was able to freeze two ice cube trays’ worth.
It was hard to avoid eating the filling while I was making the potatoes, but they provided some distraction themselves. So much milk, cream and butter. Then Gruyere, Parmesan and more butter…I love French food.
This recipe worked beautifully, but with three kinds of meat, two sorts of cheese, three varieties of dairy and Dorie’s instructions; I could hardly go wrong.
You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Hachis Parmentier
One Wet Foot 
Such exotic meat you have on hand! Elk roast? 🙂 I felt silly making my leftovers for this one but the taste was so out of this world! Yours looks fab!
Trevor Sis. Boom.
Holy crap. SO decadent and gorgeous! You’re my new hero, especially if you share your farm-raised lamb with me. 😉
Wow, that first photo looks absolutely perfect. Elk roast? Yum.
I applaud you for going with the full version! This was the ultimate comfort food, methinks:)
That last photo with the cheese oozing down the sides says it all. Scrumptious!! And you can’t go wrong with smoked bison meat, too. Excellent!
I’m very lucky to be able to get game from my family, as well as organic lamb, pork,eggs and produce from my parents’ farm. It’s fun to write about using these things
@Trevor – yes, the results certainly justified the time put into this recipe – so good!
@Sererne – sure, but you’ll have to come to Vancouver to get it…
@Nicole – Thanks, though I wish mine had browned as nicely as yours.
@Lana – It really is worth it.
Thanks, Jenny – the bison meat adds a nice smoky flavour.
Yours looks terrific! Maybe if I had used some “wild” meat mine would have been a little more flavorful…however…on Saturday, the leftovers were terrific. Perhaps it just needed to sit for a day. Thanks for the comment on my photos.
Thanks, Steph! It’s funny how some dishes improve overnight. I made a soup last week that I wasn’t thrilled with the first day, but loved the next.
All that, and soup too? You are amazing!
What wonderful variety of meats. We have venison on a regular basis and I think if I make this again that would make a flavorful pie.
Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.
Your cheese topping looks wonderful! You can’t go wrong with three meats! I really enjoyed this too!
Elk and bison? Wow! You’re so lucky to have those available! Yours looks SO good with all of that cheese- yum!
What a great combination of meat. It looks so delicious! I omitted the cheese in my topping, but when I make this again I think I will add it in. Great job!
@Tricia – right back at you. 🙂
@Margaret – I love using game, it’s tasty and healthy…well in this case, if you don’t mind the two kinds of cheese and three kinds of dairy…
@Michelle – thanks very much! I really enjoyed making AND eating this.
@Betty – I really am lucky and I’m a big fan of cheese
@Elaine – thanks so much – it was really good. I recommend the cheese.