Untested - Confit de porc (potted pork)

From The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan, pg 120

Preserving meats as a source of protein on days after the slaughter has happened to extend the availability of the food has long been of interest to people. According to Anne Willan, this is a variation of the canard confit recipe which makes for preserved duck meat that can be canned and kept for a long period of time without refrigeration, but she does not specify if this carries through for pork meat. I will continue researching the question and post here my findings (of course).

3lbs boneless lean pork shoulder cut into 6 pieces of 8oz each
3 Tbsps coarse salt
1 tsp peppercorns
3 sprigs thyme
3 dried bay leaves, broken in pieces
3 lbs lard, melted

1. Bundle the pieces of meat with twine.
2. Please in a shallow dish and sprinkle with salt and herbs.
3. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours, turning occasionally.
4. Before cooking, rinse off the salt. 
5. Preheat the oven to 300F.
6. Sear the pork pieces on all 6 sides for about 3-4 minutes per side (about 20+ minutes).
7. Place the seared pieces in a casserole dish, cover them with the melted lard, and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
8. Cook in the oven for about 3 hours.
9. To preserve the pork, place the meat in a preserving jar and pour the fat from the casserole on top.
10. IMPORTANT - be sure there are no air bubbles.
11. INSTRUCTIONS FOR DUCK: "To preserve the duck, pour a layer of the preserved fat from the casserole into the base of a preserving jar or small terrine. Pack the duck pieces on top and pour over enough fat to cover and seal them completely, adding more melted fat if necessary. Be sure there are no air bubbles. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 week to allow the flavor to mellow. If you seal the jar with a cloth sprinkled with salt and then tightly cover it, the confit will keep for several months in a cool place. The longer it is left to mature, the better it will be.
12. HOW TO COOK THE PORK CONFIT: Heat the oven to 400F. In a water bath lined with a cloth, place the jar to melt the fat. Lift out the pieces of meat and wipe off the excess fat.
13. In a frying pan heat the pieces, pour off any rendered fat, then fry the meat over low heat until very hot and brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Palets bretons au beurre salé - Testing

http://l-hote-sophie.e-monsite.com/pages/desserts/palets-bretons-au-beurre-sale.html
http://eugeniekitchen.com/palets-bretons/
http://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.fr/recette/331590-palets-bretons

These are traditional shortbread-style cookies from the Brittany region of northern France.

1 - Ok, more research is required. They did not puff out at all, or very little, and the bottoms started to burn after only 10 minutes. I've looked at other recipes, and they all look very similar. I may just pick another one at random and try it. The flavor and texture are really good though, so I want to get the look right. Maybe it's the constricted area of the muffin tin that is the key? I'll try this one: https://www.madaboutmacarons.com/palets-bretons-french-butter-biscuits/ . My other alternative is to make like the top link and roll out the dough to make more traditionally shaped round, flat cookies.

1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
2  egg yolks
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt

1. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
2. Beat the egg yolk and the sugar together until the mixture turns quite pale.
3. Still beating, drizzle in the butter slowly so as not to cook the yolk.
4. Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined and a quite stiff dough is obtained.
5. Roll into a sausage shape about 2" in diameter and keep wrapped.
6. Allow to rest in the refrigerator or a cool place for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
7. Once the butter in the dough has set, heat the oven to 350F.
8. Unwrap and cut the dough sausage into slices about 1/4" thick and set on a cookie sheet (OR you may want to place the rounds in a muffin tin to keep a smaller diameter - I don't know how much they will puff out.)
9. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned.

NOTES:

• Keep in a metal tin for freshness.
• Instead of just plain flour, combine 1 part buckwheat flour to 1 part regular wheat flour.

Split Pea Soup - Published

http://www.vintagerecipes.net/books/twentyfive_cent_dinners/oatmeal_and_peas.php

1 - This is surprisingly good! The oatmeal makes lends and unctuous texture that is quite pleasing. I could try it, next time, with some Frenchifying flavours like bay and/or thyme, maybe some carrot? I thought of adding stock instead of just water, but frankly, I don't think it needs it.
2 - I've made this a couple of times now, and it is quite lovely. The herbs I think are optional, which means I can play with what flavours I may or may not want in the soup.

2 slices of thick bacon
2 onions, chopped
3 tsps of salt (to taste)
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of pepper
12 cups cold water
2 cups of yellow split peas
4 oz (1 cup) of oatmeal
Optional: 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf and/or 1 large carrot

1. Cut the pork into lardons.
2. Together, combine the lardons and the onion in a soup pot and cook, rendering the fat at medium heat, for about ten minutes.
3. Season with the salt, sugar, and pepper, then add the cold water and the peas.
4. If using, also add the aromatic(s) and/or the carrot.
5. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the peas become quite soft.
6. Stir in the oatmeal and simmer for another twenty minutes.

Pennsylvania Cole Slaw, Frenchified - Test 1

From Ben's fragment of a Pennsylvania Dutch cookery book, pg 21

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/slawtips.html

1 - I changed the recipe quite a bit, mostly by adding a few things, being more specific on some ingredients and on method. Next time I would like to try replacing the cider vinegar with white wine vinegar.

2 - I got rave reviews on this without wilting it in boiling water first. I've made this optional in the recipe.

1lb 8oz green cabbage cut into 1/8" strips

1 Tbsp salt and boiling water

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar TRY white wine vinegar (should be no more than 4% acid)

3/4 tsp salt 

4 oz carrots, grated

Optional : 1 - 2 Tbsps parsley

1. Factor about 1lb 8oz of cabbage for 5 people as a side.
2. (optional) Bring some water to a boil. Put the sliced cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with the Tbsp of salt, and cover with the boiling water. Let stand for up to an hour, then rinse and leave in a collander to drip a bit.
3. Whisk together the cream, sugar, vinegar and salt.
4. Dump the cabbage in a large bowl, add the carrot and optional parsley and toss well.
5. Add the dressing and toss to cover evenly. 
6. It's at its best when it's had a chance to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 head young cabbage

1. Beat cream, sugar, vinegar and salt together thoroughly until the dressing is like whipped cream. 
2. Discard outer leaves of cabbage. Shred the rest finely and combine with dressing just before it is ready to serve.

Untested - Parsnip Patties

From Ben's fragment of a Pennsylvania Dutch cookery book, pg 18

6-7 parsnips
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs (dry)
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 eggs (1 separated)
1-2 Tbsp  milk
more breadcrumbs or corn meal

1. Boil parsnips in salted water.
2. When soft, peel and remove any tough material from the core, then mash.
3. Add the butter, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, sugar, egg and egg white and mix thoroughly - form into patties.
4. Beat the remaining yolk with the milk, then dip the patties in this solution and fry in oil to a nice brown.

Untested - Sweet and Sour Celery

From Ben's fragment of a Pennsylvania Dutch cookery book, pg 17
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/amish-creamy-coleslaw-with-boiled-dressing-118579

2 cups diced celery
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsps flour
2 Tbsps sugar
2 Tbsps vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup sour cream

1. Put the celery in a large shallow pan with the salt. Just cover with water and bring to a boil, then a quick simmer, and let cook until all the liquid has evaporated. The celery should be completely cooked at this point.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, beat the eggs, then beat in the sugar, flour and salt.
3. In a measuring cup combine the water and vinegar, then beat into the egg mixture
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick - about 5-8 minutes. It will be very lumpy, but don't worry, just beat it into smoothness.
5. When very thick, remove from heat and beat in the crème fraîche.
6. Pour this over the celery, reheat and then serve.

Untested - Potted Red Cabbage

From Ben's fragment of a Pennsylvania Dutch cookery book, pg 17

1 medium head red cabbage, cut into small pieces
2 tart apples, chopped fine
2 Tbsps bacon fat
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp sugar
salt and pepper

1. Heat the bacon fat in a heavy pot and fry the onion until soft.
2. Add the red cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes (do not add water).
3. Add the apples, the lemon juice and the sugar.
4. Season with salt and pepper and cook another 30 minutes, again stirring occasionally.
5. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Cabbage Braised in Milk - Test 1

From Ben's fragment of a Pennsylvania Dutch cookery book, pg 17 (Original title "Seven-Minute Cabbage"

1 - I botched the recipe because it looked just plain weird to me; I tried changjng the order of ingredients to :  butter, cabbage, flour, milk, salt. It turned into a weird ugly separated chunky mess that nonetheless tasted nice. Next time I'll actually follow the recipe.

2 - Success! Following the recipe, it worked quite nicely. I wonder about using cream and omitting the flour. I have, somewhere, a recipe where it's just the cream that is simmered to thicken. Also, what about adding some spices, like carraway?

At it with boiled ham and it was a very good flavour combination.

2 cups milk
2 tsps flour
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups or 8oz chopped cabbage

1. Heat the milk to just before boiling.
2. Add butter and the cabbage.
3. Cook seven minutes.
4. Thicken with the flour, mixed with a little cold water.
5. Season with salt and pepper.

Untested - Sweet and Sour Cabbage

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 16

cabbage
1 egg
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1. Shred the cabbage rather finely.
2. Put in sauce pan with 1/4 cup water and sprinkle with salt to steam until al dente.
3. Beat the egg, add the vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the steamed cabbage.
4. Heat five minutes and serve at once

Chicken Baked in Cream (A Very Slow Recipe) - Test 3

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 15
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/chicken-breasts-in-cream-sauce-68533

1 - An interesting first try. I added onion and garlic, and it was good, and it appears to be a good base to build on. I felt like the sauce was too thick and sort of gelatinous because of the extra flour, but Ben liked it. I think there are two possible ways of making it better for me: A) decreasing the amount of flour and/or B) taking the chicken out and whisking the sauce since the bottom was somewhat browned while the top wasn't. ALSO, the recipe indicates 350F for 2 hours, which is either way too hot or way too long. The meat seemed moist (the chicken had been brined) but was obviously more than done. I think I'll try reducing the temp for the longer time to see, otherwise, if a higher temp for not as long has the same or better results, there's no point in complicating things. Am I right?
2 - This is in fact a very good and simple recipe. The cream takes on the chicken flavor and makes a delicious sauce. The timing is still weird - this time I baked it at 350F but only for an hour, and the meat came out super cooked. It wasn't dry, though, just very soft and the pieces looked strangely deflated. Oh, and the cream sauce didn't really mix well when I tried to whisk it at the end, so I'm not sure if anything should be done, there. It would be a shame to have to add something like flour or arrowroot powder to try and smooth it. I admit I did it kind of half-heartedly, so I'll try to be more mindful next time.

3 - I made it again at 350F and took it out as soon as the chicken was fully cooked, but then the cream didn't have the richness of flavour. I think the long slow cooking is important to get the meat to release flavour and for the cream to thicken. THEN, with the cream sauce I'd saved and frozen from the last two times I'd made it from scratch, I browned the chicken and instead of frying onion and adding new cream, I just used the old cream sauce, and it worked perfectly. I wonder how often I can do that safely and before the flavour changes too much?

4 - I did not use the old cream, but I did make this again, and oh my good lord it is such a good recipe! It's amazing how flavorful it becomes with so few and simple ingredients. I removed 'sour cream' as an option since I don't tend to buy the stuff - unless I can figure out how to make it. But I do wonder what yogurt would be like, like with another recipe I have somewhere with lamb and I think there's another with pork...

1 chicken, cup up into 8 pieces, brined in salt water for at least 8 hours (see NOTE)
1/2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsps. (42gr) butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cream 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. 300F.
2. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
3. Melt butter in a large oven-ready pan and fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides.
4. Remove the chicken and set aside; add the onion and fry until starting to soften (this is just to remove the pungency of the onion) then add the garlic and turn off the heat.
5. Place Return the chicken in a casserole to the pan and pour the cream over it.
6. Cover and bake (in a moderate oven) for 2 hours.
7. Serve with gravy made from the pan fryings left after frying the chicken. Once the chicken thighs register 175F on a meat thermometre, remove from the pan and set on a plate; whisk the cream sauce to combine into a smooth sauce and pour over the chicken to serve.

NOTE: To make a simple brine, the ratio is 3/4 cup salt to 16 cups of water. Add herbs and spices if desired.

Pork Pot Pie with Dumplings - PUBLISHED

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 14

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/porky-pot-pie-with-cheesy-drop-biscuits-3279833
https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2012/10/chicken-stew-with-dumplings.html

0 - This can definitely be improved upon, and in talking to Ben, he made an interesting point; it could be that, since this is a pretty old-school cookery book, that there is an assumption that you know how to cook so you will add whatever flavouring you think is suitable. A) what can I do instead of boiling the meat? We will try it boiled just for the experience, but I suspect I will want to brown it instead. B) create links with the Sausage Patties recipe (if you cut the sausage into 1inch pieces, why not just use the sausage patty recipe and make balls?) C) Which dumpling recipe? Would the one for the chicken stew work? It is cooked, covered, so it should be ok. D)There is no mention of seasoning or herbs - I will add these and write down my preferences.

1 - You may have noticed that the list of ingredients has quadrupled. The stew is very flavorful, which means the dumplings were a bit dull when paired with it. Some strong herbs or cheese may balance things. I also crumbled the sausage, and quite liked it like that, but noted that the recipe lists 1" pieces. Do I continue with how I did it or try this other way?

Ben also suggested that the dumplings were huge - maybe use a wide pot so they can float independently and/or make less batter for smaller dumplings.

2 - Making it in a large soup pot makes most sense. The dumplings as plenty of room to cook and had a nice consistency. I thought there was too much liquid in the stew and reduced it, but now realize that this was a mistake. It may look like a lot, but it needs it.

3 - Graduated to Test 1. Put it on plates instead of bowl and the spill of stewed bits with the cloud of dumpling on top was quite attractive.

4 - Worked again beautifully. I added cabbage (instead of the optional kale) and it was great. Graduating this to Test 2.

5 - I did something a little different, I added the onions and garlic to the sausage meat after the moisture from the meat had cooked off. I think it worked well and forced me to wait until the onion was cooked, which means the meat was thoroughly browned. It also saved me a couple of steps and a little time. I'm trying to track the time it takes to make a dish, and I turned on my stopwatch, and remembered to check it 13hours later...

1 Tbsp fat (veg oil or lard)

8oz pork loin cut into ¼" pieces
1 lb sausage in 1" pieces or crumbled, to taste

½ tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp fat (veg oil or lard)

½ onion (4oz/115g) chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flour

¼ cup brandy or cognac (whiskey will do in a pinch)

3 cups chicken broth or stock 

¼ cup heavy cream 

2 medium carrots, sliced 

8oz potatoes, cubed smallish

OPTIONAL 1½ cups fine chopped kale or cabbage

1. This is a one-pot meal so be sure to have a pot big enough to contain the filling and allow for the dumplings to rise and spread. 
2. Heat the pot for a few minutes then add the fat. Brown the cubed pork and set aside. 
3. You should have at least 2 Tbsps. of fat from cooking the meat. If not, add some butter or more lard. 
4. In the hot leftover oil, cook the sausage. 
5. When the excess moisture from the meat has mostly evaporated, add the onions and garlic to the sausage, stirring until soft and transparent. 
6. Stir in the flour until completely combined. Take the time to brown the flour in the fat to cook away pasty raw flour taste. Pour in the cognac or brandy or whiskey and combine, stirring constantly until the sharp alcoholic aroma leaves the liquor and is reduced, at least by half. The bottom of your pot will likely be dark brown with cooked-on fond. This is great! 
7. Add the chicken broth and cream, and stir to combine. If it looks a bit lumpy, don't worry, it'll smooth out during the simmering. You can also spend some time loosening some of the fond by scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
8. Add the browned pork (and the kale if using) and bring to a simmer and braise until the pork is fork tender, about ½ hour. 
9. Stir in carrots and potatoes. Return to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes before adding the dumplings.

Dumplings

1¼  cups flour

3½  tsps. baking powder

½  tsp salt

½  cup milk

1 egg

OPTIONAL : ½ tsp dry herb that complements the flavor of your sausage

1. Mix together dry ingredients just before adding to the pot. Letting the batter sit isn't good. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix milk and egg together. 
3. Dump wet over dry and mix briefly, only enough that the dry and wet are well blended. 
4. Divide dough into four portions and gently plop on top of the stew in the pot. 
5. Cover and cook 15 minutes. NOTE: Do not lift lid until done.

Untested - Scrapple

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 12

8oz chopped raw pork or beef
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup corn meal
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fat (bacon or veg oil or butter)
5 cups water

1. Brown the onions slowly in a little fat.
2. Add meat, seasoning and water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add corn meal and boil for 1 hour.
4. Turn into a mold, cool, cut slices and fry in fat until brown.
5. Serve with gravy or tomato sauce.

Test 2 - Sausage Patties

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 10

Very nice, just as-is. I'll spruce up the instructions a bit but otherwise a satisfying, simple recipe.

1 lb ground pork (8oz fatty pork, 8oz lean pork)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Pinch each of sage and thyme
1 egg

1. If using whole cuts, grind the meat.
2. In a medium bowl, add the salt, pepper, sage and thyme; mix to combine.
3. Push the meat to the side, crack an egg into the empty part and lightly beat the egg with a fork, then mix thoroughly with the meat.
4. Make into 10 patties of about 2oz each fry in a hot pan with a little lard until well browned.
5. Eat with pancakes or waffles, or with eggs and toast, or however your heart desires.

Untested - Liver Noodles (Leberknoedel)

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 9

0 - the recipe asks for calf's liver, but what about other kinds of liver? ALSO, can these be rolled out into noodles, or only into balls? And how big should the balls be?

1 lb calf's liver (would lamb or pig work as well?)
1 onion
1 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1. Simmer the liver in boiling water for 30 minutes.
2. Trim off any skin or ligaments and grind the liver fine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mince the onion, add the butter, beat the eggs and add them.
4. Work into this paste the flour, using enough to make the paste quite stiff.
5. Form into small balls (how small?) and poach them in any meat soup for 15 minutes.
6. Serve them swimming in the soup.

Untested - Spaetzle

From Ben's book fragment on Pennsylvania Dutch cookery - pg 7

1 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt

1. Add milk to flour slowly, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth.
2. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Salt and mix well.
3. When cooking in boiling salted or meat broth, pour the batter from a shallow bowl, tilting it over the boiling kettle.
4. With a sharp knife slice off pieces of the batter into the boiling liquid. 
5. Dip knife in the liquid before each cut to prevent sticking.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country Bean Soup - Test 2

From a fragment of an old cookbook - don't know the title since there is no cover.

1 - This was surprisingly good. Almost like baked beans but with less sweet in. I'd like to find a substitute for the canned tomato sauce, but because it is a thick liquid, it really seems to make a difference.
2 - Again, a very good soup. I could experiment with optional herbs.
3 - Added a bay leaf and used a can of tomato paste instead of sauce.

4 - Made this for the first time in 6 years and was underwhelmed. My notes from previously and apparently more successful attempts are not useful. Did I use a different kind of ham bone? This one was a leftover from a cooked ham, cleaned of any meat. In the past was there meat the I could cut into the soup? The consistent observation on my part is the one about it being like really good baked beans minus the flavoring. Can I use this soup to make a good baked bean recipe? Oh, and I made it in the slow cooker, which worked well except that I wonder if the reaction to the flavor wasn't as good as it has been in the past. Could be the beans I used, also, which I also didn't record. This time it was Mexican Red beans. Stuck on Test 2.

1 lb soup beans
7 cups fresh water
1 ham bone
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 small potato, diced
2 tsps parsley, minced
salt and pepper
4 hard boiled egg, diced

1. Soak the beans in water overnight.
2. Drain, add fresh water and simmer with the ham bone until the beans are cooked, about 2 hours.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the veg are soft.
4. Remove the ham bone, trim it of any meat. Chop up the meat and add it to the soup, along with the hard boiled egg.

Frugal Pie - PUBLISHED

Rain, Hail, and Baked Beans pg 28

https://www.thespruce.com/pork-pot-pie-romancing-the-leftovers-913124

1 - I have a bad cold so I can't taste properly, but my Ben liked this just the way it is. I will therefore graduate this recipe to the next level; hence the wisdom of having a tiered testing system.
2 - I tried the Frugal Pie using leftover chicken and the result was fine but not stellar. The chicken and potato where too similar in intensity of flavour. I wonder, if I added a sharp cheese or a grainy mustard to one or the other?
3 - Made with pork again, and again, excellent.
4 - Tried a couple of things: (a) in ramekins to try and keep things neat: physics got in the way - when pushing down on the potato topping to cut through with eating implement, the filling gets pushed out of the way - difficult to get satisfying ratio of potato-to-filling. Conclusion: better to have it in a pie plate; some foods are better even if they look messy on the plate (like sloppie joes); (b) had lots of the meat so I doubled the recipe, which made me wonder about establishing a #of cups or oz of filling x pie dish, which would allow for the amount of meat to use up, increasing the usefulness in a frugal/sustainable kitchen; I'm guessing measuring by volume (cups) would be better since the mass of a piece of celery is likely less than a piece of meat. More veg if less meat, less veg if more meat - the herbed goo should balance the flavour and a standard quantity of potato topping should keep the experience pleasant.
5 - Making it brothier is good. Too much broth isn't because it'll just soak into the potato. Just enough to activate the flour to thicken and coat the meat and veg. I'll keep it at Test 2 until I make it again - the quantity of liquid, which was originally 1/4 cup, was increased, but it may take more than 1/2 cup. The Chicken Pot Pie takes 1 1/2 cup of liquid, but I think that would be too creamy... or would it? My fear is that too much would ruin the potato topping. Wait a minute, people love gravy on their potatoes! Screw it, I'm increasing the goo factor to 1 cup!

2 Tbsps butter or bacon fat
1 onion, diced (TO DO: Measure the total quantity of veg and meat)

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced
Optional 4oz mushroom, diced
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 1 cup broth (can be liquor from the roast)
1/4 cup Tbsp milk

1 sprig thyme, rosemary or sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz cold cooked red meat (or with chicken, see comments 2, above)

1 lb potatoes (cold or already mashed)

1. Sauté onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter until cooked through and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mince the meat by hand for small but recognizable chunks.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F.
4. Add flour to the sautée mixture, stirring well. Cook one minute, at least, or until well browned. This is important - cooking the flour in the buttered vegetables means the flour is absorbing all the liquids and fats in the pan, then cooking so that when you make the sauce, it will have carried all the lovely browning flavour with it, and it won't taste floury. 
5. Dump the broth and then the milk into the vegetable mixture and stir thoroughly. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the broth thickens and gets bubbly. 
6. Mix in the meat and put in a pie plate or casserole dish.
7. If they're not already mashed, prepare the potatoes with 3 Tbsps of milk or cream, and butter, to taste, along with a pinch of salt.
8. Layer the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture and put in the hot oven for 35 minutes or until the top browns.