Anyone managed to recreate the M&S Empire Pie?

[Hippee]

DH and I love the M&S Empire Pie. I'm not sure whether they even make it any more. It's a kind of slightly curried shepherd's pie with diced potato on top. I have tried a couple of recipes that I found online, but they aren't as nice.

What is this? Sounds interesting

recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/main-courses/spiced-shepherds-pie-with-a-squash-and-sweet-potato-mash
Sainsbury's

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-3235567/Simply-Nigella-Indian-spiced-shepherd-s-pie.html Nigella's

www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/hairy-biker-s-cottage-pie

Hairy Bikers'

Ooh - thank you Deathraystare - these aren't ones I have tried yet, so will give them a go and report back.

I've just tweeted M&S and asked for the recipe 😂
I've been wondering how to make it for years and am going to give it a go next week. I dont suppose you've tried any of the suggested recipes since this was posted?

CMDesign - I have only just seen this, sorry! None of the ones listed were the same as the M&S one - they were okay, but nowhere near as nice. If you got the actual recipe, I would be very interested!

Hi, i created the recipe...happy to give you guidance if you are still looking!

@luko, I'd be most interested! Always looking for new ways with mince.

Me too please!

Ooh, I'd be interested in this!

500g lamb mince (10-15% fat is best)
30g medium curry powder
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
50g mango chutney
50g tomato puree
3 lamb stock cubes
300g water
20g cornflour
Topping
500g peeled diced potato cooked until soft
100ml double cream
15g chopped coriander
20g onion seeds

For the base, fry off the lamb mince in a hot pan along with the onion until the meat is brown, add the curry powder and cook on a medium heat while stirring for 2 minutes. Add the water, cover and Simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes, adding more water if it looks dry. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cornflour and mix well. Mix the corn flour with 100ml of water and thicken the base.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain and let steam until dry, blitz or mash through with the cream and a good pinch of salt (the M&S product had crushed not mashed potato) then stir through the onion seed and coriander. In an oven tray, spread the base and top with the potato - bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c fan for 25-30 mins.

Enjoy!!

Thanks, sounds good!

I'm surprised this hasn't been renamed Commonwealth of Nations pie.

Sounds lovely, thanks @luko.

The name puts me right off! What sort of jingoistic brexity shit name is that?! I'm not buying anything glorifying the fucking British empire, thanks very much!

What would you serve on the side?

I'd serve it with peas or another green vegetable. If it's not very wet you could serve it with salad or coleslaw.

No need to worry, @QueenZoopla, M&S don't appear to sell this any more. Looks like they had a backlash over the choice of name (understandably). If they'd called it 'Spicy shepherd's pie' no doubt they'd still be selling it.

Well, it's taken a while, but I finally got round to trying out the recipe above. Very nice. I told my family it was Post-Colonial Pie and explained the background. They said they would prefer it to be called Commonwealth Pie. Would consider making again, although to be honest I think I prefer standard shepherd's pie.

‘Empire’pie
Ingredients from back of the product
Cubed spiced potatoes
-lamb/ beef
onions
grated carrot /celery
-mango chutney
tomato purée
stock
ginger,chilli,coriander seed
turmeric,curry powder,fenugreek
cumin seeds
caraway seeds
celery seeds
black onion seeds
garam masala
fennel seeds
dill/ dill seeds
cloves
I add allspice
Serve with spiced red cabbage

@luko - did you actually create this recipe for M&S?? Or do you mean you re-created it from the ingredients list on the packet?

It sounds lovely, either way! I've thought for ages it would be brilliant to do a shepherd's pie where the meat was actually keema mattar, and the topping was aloo gobi.

I used the ingredients on the back for the filling
I googled recipes for spiced potato toppings
Great fusion dish
Different every time mind.
Just tried chicken leg casserole version- needs work

Try it with Delia Smith spiced red cabbage