Hachis Parmentier with Potatoes, Celeriac and Chicken (French Shepherd's Pie)

Photo and styling by Bèatrice Peltre

Whenever I buy a chicken for dinner for the family, I make sure it’s large enough to have meat leftover for the next day. My mother would have used the leftovers of a beef pot au feu to prepare this classic hachis parmentier, the French version of a shepherd’s pie. I prefer mine made with chicken and believe that adding greens, like spinach, is a plus. The children gobble this dish down, and invariably ask for seconds.

Serves 4

unsalted butter, for baking dish
2¼ pounds yellow potatoes
1 small celeriac, with its greens if possible
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk, warm
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
1 pound leftover roasted chicken with its roasting pan juice (save the chicken carcass for stock)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley a few sage leaves, minced
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
ground nutmeg, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Butter an 8- x 12-inch baking dish; set aside.

Peel the potatoes and celeriac; remove the soft part in the middle of the celeriac. Dice the vegetables and add to a large pot. Cover the vegetables with water, season with salt and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Drain the vegetables and use a ricer or a fork to mash them. Add the warm milk and stir until combined; set aside.

In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When warm, add the shallot and cook stirring occasionally, without browning, for 5 minutes. Add the spinach leaves, season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Add the chicken meat with its juice and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chopped parsley, sage and any celeriac greens (minced).

Spread half of the mashed vegetables on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with the meat mixture. Add half of the cheese, top with the rest of the mashed vegetables. Finish with the rest of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and add a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden. Serve hot with a side green salad.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Leftovers and Food Waste.