Hachis Parmentier – The French shepherd’s pie.
Hachis Parmentier – or, as it’s often called, a French shepherd’s pie – is some of the finest comfort food French cuisine has to offer. Tender, shredded beef in an intense sauce with red wine, vegetables and thyme, topped with creamy mashed potato and baked in the oven until the top is beautifully golden. Honestly… what is there not to love?
Hachis Parmentier is a classic French dish of beef and mashed potato, and traditionally it has been a brilliant way to turn leftover meat into a whole new meal. If you had meat left over from a stew or a roast, for instance, it could be chopped or minced, put in a dish and covered with mashed potato before the whole thing was baked in the oven until golden. And you can of course use that method here too.
I do, however, make my Hachis Parmentier from scratch with beef chuck, which becomes wonderfully tender and juicy after the long, slow cooking. The meat is cut into large pieces and browned really well – do give it a proper seared crust, because this is where we start building lots of flavour for the sauce.
An alternative to chuck is beef shoulder – it is leaner, but it turns out very well too.
In the same pan I cook onions in butter along with garlic, carrots and celery. The tomato purée is heated through with them before the meat goes back in together with red wine, beef stock, bay leaves and fresh thyme.
The dish then simmers, covered, for about 3 hours, until the meat is so tender it practically falls apart. Always let the meat decide the timing – if you meet resistance when you pull at it with two forks, it simply needs a little longer.
The meat is lifted out and shredded while the sauce is reduced well. I then return the meat and let it simmer for another 30-40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and coats the meat. It is important that the filling is not too wet when the mashed potato goes on.
Hachis Parmentier with creamy mashed potato
I make the mashed potato very simply with butter and crème fraîche, which gives a lovely creamy consistency and a touch of fresh acidity.
If you have used a pan that can go in the oven, the dish can be assembled straight in it. Otherwise, transfer the meat to an ovenproof dish, spread the mashed potato over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is beautifully golden.
Let your Hachis Parmentier rest for 10-15 minutes before serving, so it has a chance to settle. Top with freshly chopped parsley and, if you like, serve with a simple green salad tossed in a mustard vinaigrette – the fresh acidity is wonderful with the tender beef and the creamy mashed potato.
And if you have leftover stew in the fridge, you can easily skip the whole simmering part. Shred the meat, reduce the sauce well, top with mashed potato and bake until golden – and you have the most delicious leftovers in a brand-new guise.
Hachis Parmentier – French Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1,2 kg beef chuck, cut into large chunks
- 25 g butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, cut into small dice
- 2 sticks celery, cut into small dice
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 200 ml red wine
- 500 ml beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs thyme, leaves only
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil
- Finely chopped parsley, to serve
Mashed potato
- 1,2 kg potatoes
- 60 g butter
- 6 tbsp crème fraîche
- Salt
- A little of the cooking water, if needed
- A little grated Comté, optional
Method
- Heat a splash of oil in a deep frying pan or casserole and brown the meat well on all sides. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the meat aside on a plate.
- Melt the butter in the same pan and cook the onions in it until soft and translucent. Then add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomato purée and heat it through for a couple of minutes, then return the meat to the pan. Pour over the red wine and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves and thyme. Stir, cover with a lid and let the dish simmer for about 3 hours.
- Lift the meat out of the pan and set it aside on a plate. Pull the meat apart with 2 forks. Meanwhile, reduce the sauce over a high heat. Remove the bay leaves.
- Return the meat to the sauce and let the dish simmer for another 30-40 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Rinse them thoroughly in cold water.
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of unsalted water until tender. Drain, keeping back a little of the cooking water – and mash them. I use a potato masher, but you can also use a whisk.
- Add the butter and crème fraîche and stir well into the hot mash, season to taste with salt and adjust the consistency with a little of the cooking water if needed.
- Spread the meat in an ovenproof dish – or leave it in the pan if it can go in the oven.
- Spread the mashed potato over the top of the stew and, if you like, scatter over a little grated Comté – it gives a lovely golden crust, but it is not a must.
- Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 200°C for about 30-40 minutes – if it needs more colour, turn the oven up to 230°C for the last 10 minutes or so.
- Let the dish settle for 10-15 minutes before serving – top with finely chopped parsley if you like.
Nutrition
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Hej Dianna
Det lyder virkelig lækkert. Den skal jeg prøve at lave. Kan jeg bruge oksetykkam eller oksebov som alternativ hvis jeg ikke kan finde tyksteg?
P.S. Elsker dine opskrifter. Jeg har lavet Kylling i rød karry mange mange gange. Kæmpe favorit herhjemme.
Hej Janne
Ej hvor godt du skriver det – det er en fejl. For det er præcis tykkam jeg har brugt – og ikke tyksteg 🙂
Men oksebov kan også bruges – det er bare mere magert i kødet 🙂
Og tusind tak for de søde ord 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Fantastisk lækkert og smagfuldt! Tak for en dejlig opskrift, den kommer jeg til at vende tilbage til ☺️
Hej Mads
Det er jeg virkelig glad for at høre – tusind tak fordi du skriver det 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna