Shepherd's pie

Peel and halve the potatoes, cover with cold water in a large sauce pot and bring up to a simmer, which cooks them evenly and keeps the mash from going lumpy.

Boil about 20 minutes until they show no resistance to a paring knife, then drain, return to the warm pot over medium-low heat and stir gently about a minute to drive off excess moisture.

Off the heat add the Irish cheddar, Irish butter and chives, then rice or mash the potatoes.

Season liberally with kosher salt and white pepper.

Beat the two egg yolks into about half a cup of milk and mix into the cooled potatoes until homogenous and free of lumps.

Mince the half onion, chop the carrots, pick and finely chop the rosemary and thyme, and peel the garlic.

Brown the ground lamb in a lightly lubricated preheated stainless steel pan, breaking it up, then drain off most of the fat leaving two or three tablespoons.

Add the minced onion and saute two to three minutes until softening, then the carrot for another two to three minutes.

Make a hole in the middle of the pan, crush the garlic into it and surround it with the tomato paste so both get direct contact with the heat; mix in and saute another minute until fragrant.

Stir in the chopped rosemary and thyme.

Add the flour, mix in and cook two to three minutes until the raw flour smell goes and a fond forms.

Deglaze with about a cup of dark Irish stout and a cup of beef broth, scraping up the fond.

Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, the optional Madeira and the optional frozen demi-glace puck.

Cook until thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a trail.

Ladle the lamb into a pie plate, top with the cooked peas, then pipe the mashed potatoes evenly over the top with a pastry bag or zip-top bag.

Even the potatoes out with an offset spatula and rough the surface up with a fork for as many craggy edges as possible.

Set the pie plate on parchment in a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F about 25 minutes, topping with more grated cheddar at the 15 minute mark.

Finish under the broiler two to three minutes until brown and crispy on top.