The egg yolks. They’re a must! I tested this recipe so many times, and the mashed cauliflower topping was always just kind of sad. But then I whipped in a few egg yolks (and some extra cheese…), and the result. Goodness gracious. Amazing. It makes the mashed cauliflower thicker, creamier and fluffier for a taller topping (much more like a traditional shepherd’s pie!). Also, it adds a nice golden color, something pure mashed cauliflower lacks. So it even looks more authentic, a win all around. Substitutes for the wine No worries, you can absolutely just use some extra beef broth in place of the wine. I will say this though: The wine does add a lot of flavor to the filling, so I 100% recommend trying it with the wine if you’re OK with using alcohol. Thickening the filling Since the filling cooks under a duvet of mashed cauliflower, there’s really not that much steam escaping. The filling will have about the same consistency after baking as it does when you place it in the dish, so make sure you use enough glucomannan to get your preferred consistency.