In Due Season

Holy (or Maundy) Thursday is beginning of the Paschal Triduum, the Liturgical period beginning with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Thursday) and ending with the Easter Vigil Mass (Saturday evening.) Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus, when Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover with a Seder and Jesus’ passion began. This Mass, perhaps my favorite of the liturgical year, always moves me deeply– the washing of feet in particular is such a beautiful human connection. There is so much in this Mass that brings home that idea of connection– in the physical touch of servitude, and in the memory of that shared meal that laid the foundation for the Eucharist.

For food is a strong connector — across time and space, across culture and country, across class and creed. There are many, many stories of people with nothing in common brought together by food, or of quarrels ended and people united by the breaking of bread. It’s no accident that Jesus chose bread and wine as a means of uniting people, or that the Last Supper was such a momentous event in scripture. I believe it’s in our very natures to seek out and create connections with others through food, and the Last Supper is for many Christians the central contact point with Christ and one another: both in the Eucharist, and in a special Holy Thursday Meal.

As a nod to the Seder meal, and as a remembrance of Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb, a roast lamb or something similar is the traditional Holy Thursday meal for many Christians. Some families prepare a Seder meal or variation thereof on Holy Thursday; Jennifer Gregory Miller has a thoughtful post here on the difference between connection and appropriation in the Christian use of the Seder meal or its elements. It’s well worth a read, especially if this is part of your tradition. In our house we’ve adopted the tradition of eating lamb before evening Mass, but our family’s celebration of Holy Thursday is typically very simple. Preparing a lamb roast or something similarly resplendent is impractical for us, due in part to time constraints; therefore, our favorite lamb dish for this occasion is the very non-traditional and homely Shepherd’s Pie. In spite of its lack of history as a Holy Thursday meal I think it’s apt– it’s simple and humble, and the meal of a shepherd. What could be better for remembering both the Shepherd and the Lamb as we enter the Easter season?

Shepherd’s Pie

from the recipe by Alton Brown

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare the mashed potatoes: peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, cover with water in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender. Drain, then return to the pan. Mash with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the milk, butter, and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a saute pan, and when it’s hot add the onions and carrots. Cook on medium-high until the onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking the lamb apart with a spatula or spoon, until the lamb is well browned. Drain the extra fat, if desired.
4. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Next, add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the sauce is thickened (about 10 minutes.)
5. Stir in the peas and carrots, and check the seasoning. Then remove the mixture from the heat and spread it evenly into a casserole or glass pie pan. Top with the mashed potatoes, spreading them right up to the edge of the dish to seal in the filling and prevent it from bubbling over. If you like, use the tines of a fork to create a shallow cross-hatch design across the top of the potatoes.
6. Place the casserole/ pie pan on a parchment lined-baking sheet, then bake for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes have just begun to brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.