Spiced Shepherds Pie

I made this as I had so much lamb left over from the Sunday roast. Normally recipes using leftovers are not so nice and lamb particularly is quite difficult as it seems to change taste when it is cold. I found a recipe in a Diana Henry book called Food from Plenty which is all about how to create meals from gluts of fruit, wild food and leftovers.
I have slightly changed the recipe as it was a bit sweet for my taste. It also contained raisins which my family are not so keen on in a savoury recipe.I also added some other ingredients of my own.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
Leftover lamb - about 11/2 lbs/ 600g cut into small pieces
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery, sticks chopped
3 cloves garlic -finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 pint/300ml stock
5 floz/ 150ml white wine
juice of one orange
1 tin chopped tomatoes

Mash potato and parsnip topping

1lb/450g potatoes
2lbs/ 900g parsnips
2oz/ 50g butter
2floz /60ml milk
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and brown the lamb. Remove the lamb and set it aside. In the same pan heat a little more olive oil and brown the onion, carrots and celery until golden. Add the garlic and spices and continue to cook for a minute.Stir in the plain flour, stock, white wine, orange juice, and the tin of tomatoes. Allow to come to the boil then add the browned lamb, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the potatoes and parsnips in separate pans in boiling water until just tender. Drain and then mash with the butter and milk. Season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.

Place the lamb mixture in a deep ovenproof dish and spoon the mash over the top.
Bake in a hot oven,gas 6/200 degrees centigrade for about 30 minutes until golden on the top. Serve with a green vegetable.