I’m reading a novel in which the protagonist is being hosted in a secluded and very traditional Scottish estate by stereotypically dour country folk. At lunch he is served “a dish of minced lamb with a potato crust which his hosts called shepherd’s pie”. The locals pour a “black, spicy sauce” over their portions.
Now, I’ve eaten lots of shepherd’s pie, but never applied any kind of sauce except maybe a splash of Tobasco. Since shepherd’s pie apparently originated in Scotland, is there some kind of sauce traditionally served there, that’s been ignored in the American version? From the description, it sounds like possibly some kind of* au jus* but that’s just a guess. Anyone know what this mysterious “spicy black sauce” may have been?
Probably HP Sauce or a similar brown sauce. They are very commonly used in Britain, on all sorts of foods. I would not put it on shepherd’s pie (or anything actually) but I am am sure there are a lot of Brits who would. It is not, strictly speaking, black, but a very dark brown, but your author seems to be trying to make the meal sound as alien and disgusting as he can.
Neither Worcester Sauce nor HP are the kind of sauces you “pour”, though. The only “sauce” you’d pour over shepherd’s pie is gravy. UK beef gravy, traditionally made from beef stock and flour, not American gravy. I think the author was just wrong.
Worcestershire sauce is shaken over food from the bottle (I guess it could be decanted and poured but it’s unlikely). Brown sauce (HP) would also be shaken (if from a traditional glass bottle) or, more likely nowadays, squeezed from a plastic bottle. If the sauce has been decanted to a bowl (which is also rare, but not unheard of) it would likely be spooned. Perhaps this is all semantics, but I don’t think anyone British would think of either of these condiments as being pouring sauces - Worcester sauce is too thin and needs to be applied sparingly. Brown sauce (and ketchup) is too thick and, um, 'gluggy '.
All the sauces and such go into the meat. Then it gets topped with the mashed potatoes and, with a fork, lifted into peaks. The only thing that may go on top is some nice shredded cheddar cheese. The meat and the sauces steam up to the bottom of the potatoes and, on top, the peaks of the potatoes get a little brown.
I concur, I can’t imagine it being anything other than traditional gravy, maybe with a lot of pepper added to give it a spicy edge, like you get in haggis?
That’s essentially the same thing gravy is in America, although usually with pan drippings in addition to stock or broth. (Although the word “gravy” is more inclusive, and includes other thickened and non-thickened sauces.) I didn’t notice gravy in the UK being anything unusual to me.
I was in a local restaurant/pub run by an Irish couple having the most awesome breakfast and I asked for HP. They didn’t have any, but offered instead, homemade Black Whiskey Sauce. (I think, it’s been a few years.) Sweet, sharp, tangy -it was so good, and perfect with my eggs. I can imagine it would be very good with a meat dish as well. Perhaps something like that is what the author had in mind? And as for the use of the word pouring… how else do you describe what someone does with ketchup on fries?
Squirt or drizzle but not pour. For some reason the thought of pouring ketchup or worcestershire sauce feels to me like you’d have way too much of it on your food.
Probably a gravy made with blood. Not as gross as it sounds, meat contains blood and gives it taste.
Pepper was a rare and valued spice not available to Highland Scots so any spices would have to be derived from something else. Blood is strong and tasty. Mixed with water and local herbs I’d guess that is what the author intended.
It’s interesting that you’d guess that, because there’s nothing in the OP to indicate the period in which the novel’s set, or that the scene takes place in the highlands. Scotland does not exist exclusively in the past – for all we know, the shepherd’s pie might have been a frozen one from Asda.
I’m also curious about what makes the OP think Shepherd’s pie originated in Scotland.
According to Wikipedia Shepherd’s Pie as a phrase did not appear until 1877, being a minor variation on Cottage Pie which has existed as a name for leftover meat covered in potato since the 18th century. I’m guessing the average Highland Scot had access to pepper by the late Nineteenth Century.
Also, no mention on Wikipedia of Scotland being the origin for the dish, just UK and Ireland.
