This might just be an assumption I have in my own head, but I never imagine classic rock stars to have a massive appetite for food. They have it for sex and drugs and plenty of other things, certainly, but just not necessarily for a hearty meal. The exception to that rule is Keith Richards.
He may now be 81 years old, but much like his bandmate Mick Jagger, he can still whip around the stage pretty well whenever he’s given the chance. What’s the secret to that longevity and success, then – spa regimes? Vitamin injections? Private healthcare? No, it’s nothing as complicated or contrived as that. Instead, it’s something far simpler. The humble shepherd’s pie.
“Shepherd’s pie’s pure fuel – just ask any shepherd,” Richards once said of his favourite ever meal – but in his eyes, it has one divine purpose. Giving him the energy to take on the stage. That goes a long way in explaining possibly why he has lasted as long. Exercise and vocal warm-ups can only do so much. What you really need is a truly nutritious and meaty slab of pie.
Indeed, for Richards, there is actually a whole science behind why he loves a shepherd’s pie so much, perhaps to an inordinate degree. “When you get to a show and you haven’t eaten anything, you don’t want to eat anything that’s really solid,” he said. “Shepherd’s pie is like baby food.” While it may not seem like the most appetising description, this is a process Richards has perfected over decades – but you shouldn’t dare touch what’s been made for him.
This was something that one poor crew member learned very quickly on The Rolling Stones’ tour for Steel Wheels back in 1989. A shepherd’s pie had, of course, been requested by Richards and lovingly prepared for him, but one of the roadies accidentally ate it instead. “Don’t bust my crust,” the guitarist famously retorted, and from that moment forward, the dish forever belonged to him.
As you might expect, however, Richards has a very special way he likes his shepherd’s pie to be done. It’s much the same as normal in the beginning, with all your typical meat and vegetables going in, but before you start layering your mashed potatoes on top, he wants you to stop first and add an extra ingredient. “This is top secret,” the classic rocker noted, so listen carefully. Layer in “a few more chopped onions before you put the spuds on top of the pie, before you put it in the oven. That’s the tip – that does add a zest to the whole thing.”
While it’s hardly going to be winning him a Michelin star anytime soon, there is something admittedly quite enjoyable in the fact that such a prolific rock star, so accustomed to a life of lavish luxuries, has his heart set on something so simple and homely. Indeed, to all intents and purposes, Richards’ motto for life should now be ‘sex and drugs and shepherd’s pie’. It may not be the most catchy mantra, but if that’s the secret to what’s kept him going all these years, then it’s certainly something to live by.
Keith Richards’ perfect shepherd’s pie (serves eight):
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoons flour (all-purpose)
- 2 cups beef broth or chicken stock
- 3 cups kale, chopped
- 3 cups sweetcorn, frozen or fresh
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt to taste
