Shepherd's Pie Recipe

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500 grams mince
Oil for frying
2 large onions
3 large carrots
400 ml Beef stock (Knorr rich beef stock pot)
3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 heaped teaspoons cornflour

1 whole star anise
4 small dried chillies
1 heaped teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Topping depending on personal preference for thickness. Use 1/4 - 1/3 sweet potatoes in this. Set these to boil.

Dice the carrots and onions. Cook the carrots in a frying pan on medium for about 5 minutes, add the onions and continue cooking until the onions are on the verge of browning, about another 10 minutes.

Move onion and carrots to a bowl. Brown the mince in batches.

Grind the spices up and add to the mince, add the onions and carrots back. After a minute add the Worcestershire sauce and half the stock. Whisk the cornflour in with the rest of the stock and add this. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste to check seasoning.

Once ready, drain the potatoes and mash with a generous amount of butter.

Assemble in baking dish, run a fork over the top to form peaks to crisp. Place at the top of a preheated oven at 175C for 30 minutes. Once done turn the grill on to crisp the top.

Variations:

This will scale up with no problems.
Sprinkle cheese on top of the potatoes.
If you are planning ahead cooking the mince and veg mix a day in advance and let it rest in the fridge, the difference it makes is indescribable.