French Canadian Shepherd's Pie (Pâté Chinois)
Photo: Jerry lavoie at English Wikibooks, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pâté chinois is the layered beef, corn and potato casserole that French Canadians cook through the cold months. Seasoned ground beef sits under a layer of corn, and mashed potato is baked on top until golden, with fork tracks catching the heat. The traditional side is sliced pickled beets, served chilled, and their sharp bite cuts the richness of the pie. It uses cheap pantry ingredients and feeds a crowd.
Instructions
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until they are soft, then drain them. Mash them with the 2 tbsp butter, adding only enough milk to make a spreadable mash, and set aside.
Brown the ground beef in a pan with the chopped onion and the green pepper if you are using it. Drain off the fat, then press the meat mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish.
Mix the creamed corn and the whole kernel corn together and spread the corn in an even layer over the beef.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the corn to form a crust. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and drag a fork across the top to make ridges if you like.
Bake uncovered at 400°F until the potatoes are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Serve hot, with a generous portion of sliced chilled pickled beets alongside.
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