Shepherd's pie

I have used the English name for this dish, but the dish itself is a logical invention that could have happened any place where potatoes and mutton are eaten. I occasionally make it to use up leftover Sunday roast.

250 g leftover meat (for this to be a real shepherd’s pie, it should be mutton. If it’s beef, the dish is called Cottage Pie)
25 g butter, margarine or other cooking fat
2 tbs flour
250-300 ml meat broth or gravy
Some left-over mashed potatoes

In case you don’t have left-over mashed potatoes:
750 g cooked potatoes
100-200 ml milk
25 g butter or margarine
Salt and pepper
1 finely chopped onion
Breadcrumbs
Cheese, grated

Make the mashed potatoes, using this method but the above ingredients. Add the onion when the mash is ready to eat. It is also good to add one beaten egg or two beaten egg whites into the mash (I never do this, but it probably makes a better crust).

The meat can be either boiled or roasted, but this does not suit smoked meats.
Grease an oven proof dish and sprinkle in some breadcrumbs. Slice the meat and arrange in the bottom of the dish. Pour the gravy on top. Top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with some grated cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake at about 175°C for 20-30 minutes, or until hot through.

If there is no gravy or sauce, make some gravy with a little broth thickened with a paste of flour and water and a little bit of sauce browning added.

Skyr mousse

Here is the first of the modern skyr recipes.

Note on the measurements: I have rounded all the ounces to the nearest whole number. It does not make any difference for the recipe.

Mousse:
500 g / 18 oz. plain skyr
75 g / 3 oz. sugar
200 ml / 7 oz. cream
3 sheets gelatin
1 vanilla pod
50 ml / 2 oz. cream

Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Reserve the seeds and discard the pod (or reserve for making something else).

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5-10 minutes and lightly whip the large portion of cream.

Mix together the skyr, sugar and vanilla seeds.

Heat the small portion of cream, and cool slightly. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and dissolve in the heated cream. Mix carefully into the skyr mixture and then fold in the whipped cream.

Pour into small mousse forms or individual serving bowls and freeze.

Serve with fresh fruit and fruit sauce.

Here is a strawberry sauce that’s good with skyr mousse:
150 g / 5 oz. fresh strawberries
50 g / 2 oz. sugar

Wash and hull the strawberries. Put the berries in a food processor and purée thoroughly. Pour into a saucepan, add the sugar and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool before serving.

The mousse can be used as a topping for a cake: Bake a sponge cake in a springform tin, remove and cool. Put the cake on the dish you intend to serve it on, put the side part of the springform around it, pour in the mousse and cool until stiff. Remove the springform and decorate the cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Serve, if desired, with the strawberry sauce on the side.

Another idea: Crumble some Graham crackers and add a little cinnamon. Pour over a little melted butter, stir well and press into the bottom of a serving bowl and allow to set before adding the mousse. Decorate with fruit and whipped cream and serve with the strawberry sauce.