French Recipe: Hachis Parmentier

As the temperatures cool down, there is nothing I like more than cooking warm, hearty meals. That means it is time to break out one of our favorite recipes: Hachis Parmentier.

Hachis Parmentier is a well-known French comfort food, and is similar to the British shepherd’s pie. Even better, it is relatively easy to make–as well as absolutely delicious. Named after the eighteenth-century nutritionist and inventor Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (who famously pioneered potatoes as a staple food crop), Hachis Parmentier has become a staple of French cuisine.

Just get ready for some chopping, as hachis means “chopped” or “minced” in French.

Typically, the basis for the recipe is leftover beef stew. If you don’t have leftover stew, no problem! This recipe includes how to make beef stew from scratch to include in the casserole.

Ingredients

For the stew:

1 large onion

2 carrots

1 leek

2 garlic cloves

1.5 pounds of ground beef

pinch of thyme

pinch of rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

For the mashed potatoes:

2 lbs potatoes

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

grated parmesan or gruyère to top

Instructions:

Peel and quarter potatoes, then boil them for 15 minutes or until tender. When done, mash the potatoes with the remaining ingredients (under the “mashed potatoes” section) and set aside. Chop carrots, onions, and leek. Saute the onions with garlic and ground beef with a little olive oil, then add carrots, leeks, thyme, and rosemary when meat is browned.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and continue to cook the mixture until the carrots are tender. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Have a glass of French Wine (drink sensibly).

While cooking, grease a casserole dish. Layer the ground beef mixture on the bottom of the pan, followed by the mashed potatoes. Cover the top of the mashed potatoes with grated cheese.

If you have additional beef and potatoes remaining, you can continue to layer them in the casserole dish. Put the casserole in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is brown.

You can pair Hachis Parmentier with a simple green salad and a glass of red wine.