Sanieh batata wa lahma bil ka’ak

Baked potato with lamb and breadcrumbs

This Lebanese-style shepherd’s pie is great comfort food. A simple recipe, it’s very easy and inexpensive to make. I simply served it with some fresh spinach.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g minced lamb
1 tablespoon pine nuts
salt and pepper
4-5 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
3 tablespoons butter
100g dried bread-crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180c (Gas mark 4).

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, add the onion and cook, stirring until tender. Add the meat, pine nuts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the meat is browned.

2. Place the warm mashed potato in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter and some salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Grease a deep baking tray with the remaining butter. Spread half of the mashed potato in the tray. Spread the meat mixture over in one layer, then spread the rest of the mash on top.

Sprinkle the bread-crumbs on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.