Quebec Veal Shepherd’s Pie, Like a Gratin Dauphinois

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) 35% cooking cream
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely crushed
• Two or three pinches of grated nutmeg
• 1 kg (2 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ​​on a mandolin
• 200 g (2 cups) grated medium cheddar cheese

Veal mix

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) lean ground Quebec Veal
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 medium yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 10 ml (2 tsp) steak seasoning
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 5 ml (1 tsp) crushed pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, garlic and nutmeg to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil and sweat the onions for 5 minutes with the thyme, steak seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sweat for another 3 minutes, avoiding browning.
4. Remove the onion and garlic mixture from the pan and set aside. Discard the thyme sprigs.
5. Add a little oil to the pan if necessary and cook the ground veal for 5 minutes over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a fork. Remove the fat and discard it.
6. Add the onion and garlic mixture back into the pan and stir gently. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Transfer the veal mixture to a gratin dish. Cover with half the potatoes, then half the grated cheese and repeat.
8. Pour the milk and cream mixture over the potatoes. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Take the veal Shepherd’s pie out of the oven and let it cool for about ten minutes before serving.

Recipe taken from Chef Jean-François Plante's Rôtir magazine.