cornstarch

  • Char Siu Bao (Baked BBQ Pork Buns)

    Char Siu Bao
    Char Sui Bao
    (Makes 6-8)


    Filling
    Char Siu Pork, ¼ to ½ inch cubes

    Filling Sauce
    2 tblsp Char Siu Sauce (marinade)
    1 tblsp Oyster sauce
    1½ tblsp dark soy sauce
    1 tblsp Sesame oil
    1 tsp white pepper
    1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
    2 tblsp sugar
    1 tsp scallion oil, optional

    Slurry (thickener for filling)
    2 tsp cornstarch
    2 tsp water

    Bao
    400g strong bread flour
    25g butter
    70g fine sugar
    2g salt
    7g fast action dry yeast
    200g warm water (the yeast I use requires the liquid be 120-130 degrees F.)

    Egg Wash
    1 egg
    1 tblsp milk or water


    NOTES:The bread measurements are all in grams because being exact in baking recipes almost always means you will get a great result! There was not any dough that was too sticky and it just takes the guess work out of the equation! I have used a version of this model for years!

    For the pork, I used a boneless butt/shoulder, cut into 1 inch by 1 inch and however long they are logs. Marinate for 2-3 days in your char siu marinade. Using a grill, bbq the pork, we like small really dark areas, yes they look a little burnt here and there, but are actually a combination of the sugar over-carmelizing and the char of the grill. In my circle of friends this is now known as "candy meat"!
    After grilling, let them rest and then cube up the Char Siu Bao portion and set aside, (save any leftover for another meal!

    For the filling sauce, in a small cup, mix the corn starch and water together to form a 'slurry' which will be used to thicken the filling sauce and set aside.
    Add the rest of the ingredients to a small sauce pan, mix together and turn on the heat to medium until the misture is boiling, then turn the heat down to low, and add a tblspoon of the hot mixture to the slurry mixing while you pur it in, once mixed add back to the hot sauce pan miixture stirring while your adding it. now let the sauce come to a simmer and let it reduce until its super thick and sort of oozes, this will take between 2 and 5 minutes depending on the stove heat. Once thick set aside let cool, if you want, transfer the mixture to a different bowl to facilitate cooling.

    For the Bao, Let the yeast bloom (5-10 minutes) after adding warm water and a tblsp of the sugar from the 70 grams.
    Add all the flour to a mixer with a dough hook. (Or you can hand mix it) Add the salt and sugar mix until blended.
    Now add half of the bloomed yeast/water mixture, mixing on low speed, then slowly add the remaining yeast/water until it is all incorporated and a dough forms, you may need a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides or stir up the bottom.
    Now add push the softened butter into the dough and let the mixer run at slightly faster then medium speed for 4 minutes. Make sure the butter isn't pooling outside the dough and gets mixed in to it.
    Remove the dough and hand kneed for a minute and form a ball, pulling the top to the bottom to create surface tension before resting in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp tea towel for 1½ hours. (There are plenty of YouTube videos with bakers forming the dough balls.)
    After 1½ hours rising, divide the dough in to 6 parts for large baos (about 4 oz each) or for smaller baos divide into 8 pieces.

    Putting it all together: Roll the bao pieces into circles 3-4 inches in diameter, then add a heaping tablespoonful of the filling into the center, pull up 2 opposite sides together without the filling touching the edges or it will not stick together, pinch the sides then follow the 2 remaining areas that are left and pinch shut, bring the pinched ends together crimping the dough together so they do not leak during baking and then the seem ends up at the bottom of the bun.
    Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and best if you have one insert a rack in the tray and add the parchment paper to the rack grid rack lined with parchment paper insted of the cookie sheet. This will prevent the bottom from burning. Let them rise for 30 minutes once filled.
    After the 30 minutes, brush the tops and sides with the egg wash.
    Put them in the center of a pre-warmed oven at 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. I always take a look at them after 10 minutes in any case. You never know. They should look golden brown and delicious when they are done!

  • Crispy Honey Mango Chili Chicken over rice

    Crispy Honey Mango Chili Chicken

    Crispy Honey Mango Chili Chicken (Serves 4)
    4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
    2 cups oil for deep frying, I used vegetable oil
    @ 1 tblsp Tony Chachere's Creole Spice
    1 tsp flour
    1 tsp corn starch
    3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
    2 Jimmy Nardello peppers or 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped small
    6-8 Thai chili's or 3 Serrano chili's, minced
    1 tblsp butter
    Pinch of salt
    1/2 mango, chopped large
    2-3 tsp honey
    1 cup Jasmin rice
    NOTES: A substitute for Tony Chachere's Creole Spice would be a mix of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika and salt.
     

    Rinse the Jasmin rice three times in cold water, rubbing the rice against itself with your hands will help to rub off the starch, so your rice doesn't clump up and is separate and fluffy. Add the rice to a sauce pot and cover with cold water 1/4 inch over the top of the rice. And a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to the lowest simmer and cover for 8 minutes. Then remove from heat and fluff with a fork. If for any reason you still have water in your rice, turn up the heat and boil it off.
    Turn off the heat leave the cover on until serving.

    Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Coat the chicken pieces in Tony's Creole Spice.

    Mix together the flour, corn starch and panko bread crumbs. Coat the chicken pieces, pressing the panko mix into the chicken pieces.

    Set aside until the oil reaches 375. The temperature will fall sometimes 60 degrees, if you can maintain around 325-350, once the chicken cools the oil down after you first drop it into the oil. Depending on your "bite size", fry them from 3-4 minutes each batch. Fry the chicken in 3 batches, once they are all crispy. Set aside.

    In a fry pan, heat the butter over med/low heat. Add both of the minced Thai and red peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook until the peppers are just about soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped mango and turn off the heat. Add the honey, set aside. Mix the crispy chicken into the pepper honey mixture.

    Serve over Jasmin rice.

  • Eggplant Tempura

    Eggplant Tempura
    Eggplant Tempura
    (Serves 2)

    ½ cup of Flour
    4 tblsp of Cornstarch
    1 cup of Ice water
    4-6 Mini Eggplants
    6 cups of vegetable oil (or canola oil or corn oil)

    NOTES: If you stick to a 3:1 ratio of flour and cornstarch, you can make what you need. You can also substitute seltzer water for the ice water as long as its ice cold!

    Mix the flour and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.

    Get a cup and fill it 1/3 up with ice, add water (or seltzer) until it's full and set it aside in the freezer.

    Cut off the stem side of the mini eggplants, about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Discard.

    With the eggplant's cut top facing the top, make a cut starting on the right, ¼ inch in, cut through the eggplant, leaving a 1/3 inch not cut near the top so that the little "wing" you just made is attached at the top. Then keep this up until you reach the other side. Now place your palm over the eggplant and press down, lightly at first, so that the "wings" of the eggplant "fan" out and spread out. Make sure the "wings" don't break off if you need to press harder to get them to fan out. Thinner "wings" are better but don't get them too thin or they'll over cook while the top under cooks. Repeat for the other mini eggplants.

    Get your oil hot in a medium sauce pan or appropriate pot and heat until 350-365 °F This oil should never get to a smoking stage. If you don't have a thermometer, please test some drops of the tempura batter and watch to see how fast they turn golden. If they are golden before 3 minutes probably too hot. (Because the eggplants will take 2-4 minutes depending on thickness)

    Once the oil is to temperature, get out your ice water or seltzer and mix into the flour cornstarch mix. You may need to strain the ice from falling in, also drizzling the water in will allow you to determine the exact amount of water you need. This batter will be thinner then pancake batter, closer to crepe batter. Add the water until appropriately thinned and immediately dip in your eggplants, coat wel, tap once on the side of the bowl to shake excess off and drop in hot oil, away from you so oil doesn't splash. Repeat until pan is full, you may need to do this in a few batches depending on the pan. Always be sure the temperature of the oil is back to 350-365 °F before your next batch.

    When golden all over, remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve right away with a dash of kosher salt or any flaky salt.

     

  • Eggplant Yum Yum

    Eggplant Yum Yum

    Eggplant Yum Yum


    (Serves 4)

    3 Japanese or Chinese Eggplant (Long and thin variety)
    2-3 tblsp Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil
    4 tblsp Rice Wine Vinegar
    1½ tblsp Soy Sauce
    1 tsp Sesame Oil
    1 tblsp Sugar
    1 tsp Corn Starch
    1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

    1 dozen basil leaves, fresh & whole (optional)

    NOTES: Imagine the possibilities; vegetable medley yum yum! I also like to toss in whole basil leave at the sauce tightening stage!

    Mix the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, corn starch and red pepper flakes together well then set aside.

    Cut the ends off the eggplants and discard. Split the eggplants in half length-wise and then cut 1¼ inch segments.

    Heat up a large skillet with the 3 tblsp Peanut Oil on medium heat. Once hot add the eggplant and toss immediately until you've given the eggplant alight coat of oil, now fry and every 3 or 4 minutes turn the eggplants. After 12-15 minutes they should be cooked but not mushy.

    Add the sauce on top of the eggplant and toss around for a minute, the sauce will tighten up and now its done!

    Add on top of your favorite cooked rice, yum yum!

  • Foil Wrapped Chicken

    Foil Wrapped Chicken
    Foil Wrapped Chicken
    (Serves 4 people, Makes 16)


    9 oz boneless chicken thighs, ⅓ inch pieces
    ¾ tblsp minced garlic
    ¾ tblsp finely chopped ginger
    1 tsp Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing)
    ¾ tblsp soy sauce
    ¾ tblsp sweet soy sauce
    ¾ tblsp Oyster sauce
    ¾ tblsp sesame oil
    1 tsp sugar
    ½ tblsp tsp crushed peppercorns
    ¾ tblsp Cornstarch
    (16) 4" Aluminum Foil Squares
    2 to 3 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying


    NOTES: Frying time can vary depending on what you are using to fry in, aka a wok, deep fryer or a sauce pot.

    Prepare the chicken in a small bowl, set aside, mix all the other ingredients togather, then either add the chicken to them or add them to the chicken, mix well and let them marinate for 1 hour, if its warm in your kitchen put them in the fridge while marinating and remove 15 minutes prior to being ready.

    If you haven't done so already cut out 16 squares of tinfoil (4"x4"), now wrap up 3-4 pieces of chicken, about 1 tblsp worth, in the center of the foil, now grab a corner of the tinfoil and match it with the opposite corner of tinfoil, flatten it into that triangle, then fold over the edge along the seam of the triangle ¼ of an inch do the same for the other open seem, now fold ¼ inch corner back in ¼ inch. Repeat until all the chicken and foil is used, about 20 packets.

    Heat the oil up to 350-365°F. depending on how much room you have in your fryer, add 4-5 packets at a time and let them fry for about 4 minutes.
    The cooked foil wrapped chicken should be juicy and caramelized. Repeat until all the chicken is fried then dab the outsides of the foil with a dry paper towel and serve.

  • Gravy, Thanksgiving Style

    Gravy Thanksgiving Style
    Gravy, Thanksgiving Style
    (Serves 15)


    1 cup pan drippings (from the turkey)
    3 cups chicken stock or beef stock
    ½ tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
    ½ tsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1 tblsp cornstarch
    1 tblsp water


    NOTES: Typically I use "Better then Bouillon" for my chicken, beef, vegetable and lobster stock needs (so much flavor, no MSG). Better Than Bouillon is a concentrated paste made of cooked meat or vegetables that you dilute with hot water in whatever quantity you'd like, and it can stay good for months in the fridge.
     

    Skim the fat off of the turkey drippings. In a medium pot, Warm up the drippings and the stock.
    Then add the spices.
    In a small bowl or measuring cup mix the water and cornstarch together (this is called a slurry), now add in a bubbling tablespoon of the hot gravy to the slurry (this is called tempering) mix it and quickly add it back in to the gravy, stirring the gravy well increase the heat to a simmer, the gravy will thicken fairly quickly. Once it thickens to the your preferred thickness bring the heat down or turn off the heat completely.

    If the gravy is still not thick enough after 2 minutes, you can create another slurry and after tempering it stir it into the gravy and bring the heat back up top a simmer.

    If the gravy is too thick you can add more stock to it to thin it out.

    So good over mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing!. Enjoy!

  • Gyoza

    gyoza
    Gyoza (Dumpling from China)
    (Makes @50 )


    14oz Ground Pork, fatty
    1½ tblsp soy sauce
    2 tsp sesame oil
    1 tsp chili oil
    1 tblsp potato or corn starch
    1 tsp white sugar, fine
    ¼ cup green onions, sliced thin (1 bunch)
    ¾ tsp white pepper
    1 tsp chicken bouillon mixed with a tsp of water
    1 tblsp vegetable oil
    2 tsp ginger, chopped fine
    2 tsp garlic, chopped fine
    ½ a cabbage, cored and sliced thin, then chopped small
    1 package of 50 gyoza wrappers


    NOTES: Gyoza, Pot Stickers, Dumplings are in general different due to their wrappers, pot stickers are thicker wrappers then gyoza.
     

    In a large frying pan on medium/low heat with the oil, after a minute add the garlic and ginger, stirring for a minute, maybe two, we don't want to get the garlic over browned which leads to bitter garlic instead of a sweet garlic. Add your chopped cabbage and stir around to incorporate the garlic and ginger, then let sit and stir ever 1-2 minutes until the thicker pieces have softened and there is little water/moisture content due to evaporation, about 4-5 minutes. Let cool off the stove, I spread mine out on a large cold plate to cool quicker.

    in a large bowl add the ground pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, corn starch and if your using it, the chili crunch. with your clean hands, or if you have the thin rubber gloves, mix the meat and spices well then we actually grab some of the mixture and 'slap' it down into the bowl and keep repeating this technique, in 5 minutes you will see the texture of the meat mixture change in this traditional Chinese meat mixing technique called 'Velveting'. Now you can incorporate the chopped green onions into the pork mix and set aside until the cabbage mixture has cooled completely. Now mix in the cabbage into the pork. We are now ready to start stuffing the gyoza wraps.

    Fill a very small bowl with a little water for you to dip your fingers in to wet the edges of the wrapper. Get a regular soup spoon for shaping the filling, I like to coat mine with a little oil on both sides to make the filling slide right into the wrapper. Have a empty plate or paper plate ready for the finished uncooked gyoza. If you're right handed, pick up one wrapper in your left hand and wet ½ of the edge with your right finger, now with the spoon get a small spoonful of the pork/cabbage/green onion mix and plunk it into the center of the wrapper, fold it in half, pinching the center top closed, then with your left thumb and two fore-fingers crimp the left open side shut, sort of curving toward you, and do them to the left open side of the gyoza with your right thumb and fore-fingers crimping it shut tightly. set aside on paper plate and repeat. depending on the size of your frying pan, a small 8 inch is good for frying about 10 gyoza, a 10 inch fry pan is good for about 20-25 gyoza. For a 8 inch pan add 2-3 tsp of vegetal oil (3-4 tsp oil for a 10 inch pan).

    While the pan is off the heat, add the oil and then arrange the gyoza so they are standing up with the filled side down, start them off on one side of the pan and make a line of them, in the smaller pan I line 7 up and put the 3 extra on the side. For the larger pan you can get 2 curved rows and some in the middle. Once they are all in the oiled pan, turn on the heat to low, check the bottom of the one on the edge closest to you for degree of golden brown. once they are there, add ¼ cup of water to the pan and cover for four minutes. After the times up remove the cover, if things went perfect the liquid is gone and the gyoza didn't stick and you can use the service plate to invert over the fry pan and flip the contents onto the plate quickly. If things did not go perfect: you can soak up too much liquid or oil with a paper towel from the pan. If the gyoza have stuck you may need to bust out a spatula. My first batch stuck, then my second batch I lowered the heat and it came out perfect! If you have non-stick pans they may facilitate the no stick action much better.

    For a dipping sauce I use ½ soy sauce and ½ rice wine vinegar. Equal portions. Optional you can add some of that chili oil to it!

  • Mango Chicken

    Mango Chicken
    Mango Chicken
    (Serves 2-4)


    1lb Chicken (boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces)
    2 tsp Ginger/Garlic Paste
    1/4 cup corn starch
    1/4 cup flour
    1/2 tsp Salt
    1/4 tsp white pepper
    1 cup oil (for frying chicken)

    3 tbsp Oil (for frying onions, peppers and chilies)
    2 tsp ginger/garlic paste
    2-3 medium hot green chilies, chopped medium
    1 cup red or white onion, chopped large
    1 cup Bell Pepper, chopped
    2 tbsp Soy Sauce
    4 tbsp Sambal Oelek chili sauce
    2 tbsp sweet chili paste
    2 tbsp tomato ketchup
    1 tbsp rice vinegar
    Salt (to taste)
    1/2 tsp black pepper
    2 tsp corn starch
    1/4 cup water
    1 cup mango (peeled and cubed)


    NOTES:
     

    Mix togather the cut up chicken pieces and the ginger/garlic paste.
    Now add the flour, 1/4 cup corn starch, 1/2 tsp salt and white pepper. Coat the chicken well.

    Heat up the cup of oil over medium+ heat. (We're going to fry the chicken twice, the first time, don't worry about crisping it up, that's in the second fry.) fry all chicken pieces once, do not crowd the pan, do it in batches.

    Now fry the chicken pieces a second time, in batches, set aside.

    In a different pan, heat up the 3 tbsp oil over medium heat, heat up the onions for 2-3 minutes before adding in the bell pepper. Saute for an additional 2 minutes before adding the small hot chilies and the ginger/garlic paste. Fry an additional 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to med/low.

    Mix together the soy sauce, sambal oelek chili sauce, chili paste, ketchup, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

    In a seperate cup mix together well the 2 tsp of corn starch and 1/4 cup of water. Set aside.

    In the onion/pepper mix pan, turn heat back up to medium/high, now add the soy sauce/chili paste vinegar mixture, mix well, bring to boil. Add the water/corn starch mix in the cup to the pan, stir well.

    Now put all the chicken into the sauce, mix well, add in the mango cubes, toss well and serve over rice.

  • Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Honey Sauce

    Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Honey Sauce
    Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Honey Sauce
    (Serves 4)


    12 oz sticky rice also called sweat rice or glutinous rice
    1 mango, deseeded and peeled, cut into slices or chunks
    6 tblsp honey
    ½ tsp salt
    1 cup coconut milk
    3 tsp cornstarch
    ¼ tsp sesame seeds, toasted, optional


    NOTES:

    Soak your sticky rice in water overnight, at a minimum 6 hours, the longer you soak it the better it gets.

    Using cheese cloth, dampening in water and then put your rice in and wrap it up like a gift. Place in the heated steamer for 10 minutes, then flip the package over and steam for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit in the steamer for 5 more minutes. Meanwhile in a sauce pan we are making the sauce that will infuse the rice and also be a sauce for the rice. Add the coconut milk, salt and the honey, on medium low heat stir until fully blended.

    Pour ½ of the sauce into a large bowl, reserve the rest of the sauce and keep in the pan. In the large bowl unpack the sticky rice and add to the large bowl. Mix the rice and sauce when your finished mixing put it back in the cheese cloth, wrap it back up and return it to the steamer for 5 minutes, then flip the package and steam for 10 more minutes. Meanwhile with the other half of the sauce, turn the heat back on medium low, mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of the sauce from the pan until its smooth, then pour some of the cornstarch slurry into the hot sauce to thicken it up. Add a little of the slurry at first, let the mixture come to a simmer and then check the consistency, if it needs more slurry to thicken then add some more slurry until it is at a good thickness, syrup like. Remove from heat and set aside.

    Time to assemble! Add the sticky rice to your serving plate and shape with a large spoon into a round mound, if you didn't have a large scoop. Fan the sliced mango around the rice or place the chunks next the rice in a tidy pile. Pour some sauce on top of the rice and mangos and sprinkle the top with the toasted sesame seeds if your using them. Enjoy!

  • Orange Sauce (for Orange Chicken)

    Orange Sauce

    Orange Sauce (for Orange Chicken) (Serves)


    ½ cup oyster sauce
    ½ cup sugar
    3 oz orange juice
    3 oz rice wine vinegar
    1 tblsp cornstarch, (mixed into the rice wine vinegar as a slurry)
    2 tblsp soy sauce
    1 tblsp hoisin sauce
    1½ tsp sweet paprika
    1 drop red food coloring, optional


    NOTES:
     

    Mix rice wine vinegar with corn starch, set aside. Mix all ingredients together, warm up on low heat, add the cornstarch/vinegar slurry, mix well, slowly bring up the heat until the desired consistency, a fairly thick sauce. Serve over crispy fried chicken and steamed broccoli and fried rice, garnish with some chopped green onions.

  • Schezuan Sauce

    Schezuan Sauce
    Schezuan Sauce
    (Serves 2)


    1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground
    ¼ cup soy sauce
    3 tblsp honey
    1 tblsp sesame 0il
    1 tblsp rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar)
    1 tablespoon Mirin
    3 garlic cloves, finely minced, use a garlic paste
    2 tsp ginger, finely minced, or use ginger paste
    1 tblsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)
    ½ tsp Chinese five spice
    3 teaspoons cornstarch


    NOTES:
     

    Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan or skillet.

    Slowly bring to a boil which will very quickly thicken the sauce, be prepared to take it off the heat when the consistency you want is achieved.

  • Shepherd's Pie

    Shepherds Pie
    Shepherd's Pie
    (Serves 4-6)


    1 lb of lamb, cubed
    1 tblsp vegetable oil
    1 large carrot, cut into small cubes
    1/3 cup peas
    1+¾ cups lamb stock
    1 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Spice
    ½ tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    1 tblsp plus a 1 tsp cornstarch
    3 large russet potatoes, skinned and cubed
    4 tblsp unsalted butter
    2-3 tsp salt
    ¾ tsp ground black pepper
    1/3 cup cream, half n' half or milk
    1 tsp unsalted butter


    NOTES:I substituted the lamb stock for half chicken and half beef stock using Better Than Bouillon brand. If you don't have Tony's Creole Spice you can substitute with equal portions of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper and a pinch of salt. You can substitute ground beef for lamb in this recipe, you won't need to simmer the ground beef for but 3-5 minutes after you sear it, and you should then call the dish a Cottage Pie and not a Shepherd's Pie. If you want to feed more with this recipe you could double the potatoes to 6 and bake in a 9 x 12 inch pan.!

    Boil the carrot cubes until just about tender as they'll finish cooking in the completed pie. Drain and set aside.

    In hot very hot skillet, add 1 tblsp high heat oil like vegetable, canola or peanut oil. Add half the lamb and sear on 2 sides then remove to a small bowl. Repeat the other half of lamb cubes.

    Once the lamb is seared and set aside, as well as your carrots and peas, get a large sauce pot filled with water on the stove on high heat, add in the potato cubes and bring to a boil, in about 10 minutes the potatoes will be fork tender, check at the 8, 10, 12 minute mark so you don't end up with potato mush! Once they are fork tender, drain off the water completely and then put the potatoes back into the pot, add the 4 tblsp unsalted butter, ¾ of the cream or milk, the ½ tsp ground black pepper and 2 tsp of salt to start with. Mash the potatoes with butter and stuff, until they seem fairly smooth and smashed, remove the smasher and use a large spoon to stir it all togather adding more cream or milk if they are too stiff. Taste for salt content and add more if needed. Set potatoes aside.

    Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

    In the same pan as you seared the lamb, heat up the lamb stock or whatever stock you are using. Add the 1 tsp of Tony's Chachere's Creole spice, garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper and bring to a simmer. Now add the lamb cubes and juice from the lamb. Bring the stock back up to a fast simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lamb is as tender as you like, in the last 5 minutes add the carrots and peas to the lamb and stock.

    Now in a small bowl or cup mix the cornstarch with about 6-8 tsps of the hot stock only (no peas or lamb!). Once your cornstarch slurry is mixed well, turn the heat down to low and mix in ¾ of the slurry quickly into the lab, peas and stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Keep stirring at this point, after 20-30 seconds the cornstarch slurry should have thickened up the stock, if you think it needs to thicken more add the rest of the slurry in, stirring quickly as you add it. You should now have a great gravy based lamb and vegetables for the bottom portion of your shepherd's pie.

    Let's put it all together, in a 9 x 9" pan, add the lamb/gravy/vegi mix first. Making sure its evenly distributed, now add the mashed potatoes a small scoop at a time, first at the corners, then the center, then fill in the bare spots, grap a spatula and lightly smooth the potatoes over the entire top so you can't see any gravy/lamb mix. I then dragged a fork lightly over the top to give the top of the potatoes a chance to crisp up even more in the oven. Lastly add the tsp of butter to the center of the pie and place in your pre-heated oven at 400°F. for 20-25 minutes. I then moved it to my broiler for about 1-2 minutes to get that golden brown rows from raking the top with the fork! Remember, if you are bringing it out of the fridge, let it sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes before putting in the oven.