<h3>A very unhealthy Shepards Pie</h3>

For a quantity to serve 5-6 w/accompaniments:

For the Potato Crust:

• 5 potatoes
• Salt to taste
• Fresh white pepper to taste
• 6 Large cloves Garlic in 1/8 in cubes
• 3 tbls butter
• 2-3 tbls Heavy whipping cream
• 4 leaves Sage (minced finely)

This could be done the day before the pie will be served - or started with the stock for the filling and stored in the freezer in a sheet pan until the crust is ready to be shaped. Cold potatoes are easier to work with.

Boil the potatoes till they are just shy of what you think should be done. Pour them into a colander and run cold water over them until they are cooled down (stopping the cooking outright will yield better potatoes in the end so if you want to chill them in an ice bath feel free to do so before working with them) enough to work with. Start by mashing and slowly adding in salt until the potatoes are just under-salted. Saute the garlic in the butter until it is a crisp golden (not brown at all) and incorporate with the potatoes. Add the Pepper to taste, then the cream; the consistency should lean towards drier potatoes but still be rich - as soft mashed potatoes won't hold up in the form of a crust. Finely mix in the Sage and spread out in a sheet pan and reserve in the refrigerator or freezer.

For The Sauce:

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees

for the quick-stock

• 2 tbls Grapeseed Oil or butter
• 1 lb oxtails in 2in pieces

brown the oxtails in the oil in a cast iron pan at medium-high heat until evenly colored - transfer to oven for approximately 2hrs turning the oxtails every 30min to ensure even browning. (You can add beef broth and stew them in that for a while after the browning is complete so that you can drain the fat off - or just use the fat to sweat the mirepoix) Remove the oxtails from the pan and do with them as you wish.

for the mirpoix (3/16 in)

• 2 1/2 Shallots
• 1 celery stalk w/leaves
• 1 large carrot
• 2 apples
• 1 tbls fresh thyme
• 1/2 tbls fresh sage
• 500 ml white wine
• 3 tbls Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 tbls Calvados
• salt to taste

Add the Shallots, Celery, Carrot, Apples, Thyme, Sage and white wine to the juices in the pan that was used for the oxtails. Cook on medium-high heat until the wine is nearly evaporated and the vegetables are soft - then transfer to a blender. Puree the mixture in the blender until smooth, adding the cream as necessary. When the mixture is blended force as much through a strainer (tamis or chinois) as possible and then mix in the calvados. Taste and then add salt as desired.

For the filling:

• Butter for browning
• 5-6 fresh apples cut into 1/2in wedges
• 1 lb pork tenderloin cut in 1/4in scallopini
• Salt to taste

heat a pan on the stove at medium-high heat and then add the butter. Salt the tenderloin scallops and then brown in the pan - they should not be fully cooked (medium-rare to medium), remove from pan and reserve. Lay the apples in the pan so that they sit and cook evenly (add more butter if necessary) and brown both sides of the slices. Remove them apples when they are evenly browned and reserve.

To complete.

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heavily butter a 4 quart saucepan and line the side with the reserved mashed potatoes, making sure to leave enough for top layer of the crust. Add a layer of the sauce, then a layer of apples and followed by a layer of the tenderloin. Continue to layer until the pan is full, or you run out of ingredients. Spread the remaining potatoes over the top and back for about 1 1/4 hours until the top of the potatoes are crispy and golden (if they aren't the desired color you can switch the oven to broil and finish them that way).

Let cool for at least one hour. Seriously. Cut and serve with a dry crisp white wine.