recipes

Cottage Pie

January 21

This classic comfort Cottage Pie dish is familiar and satisfying, with a few tips to make them easier to pull off on busy days. The trick to a really great cottage pie is all in the base. A splash of Worcestershire sauce and a dollop of tomato purée add depth to the mince, while a sprinkle of grated cheese on the mash gives you that irresistible golden crust. If you’re short on time, you can prep the base and mash ahead of time, then just assemble and bake when you’re ready to eat.

Serves 6
2 hours

Method

1. Place a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil along with the onion, carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened then turn up the heat slightly and add the chopped bacon.
2. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the minced beef and thyme along with some salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the mince with a fork or the back of a wooden spoon, for 4 - 5 minutes, until browned.
3. Stir through the flour and then pour in the ale and allow it to bubble for a few minutes. Add in the beef stock, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything until combined then throw in the bay leaf and rosemary and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, then partially cover and cook for 45 mins - 1 hour, until the liquid has reduced and has thickened to coat the meat in a glossy sauce. Place the mixture into an ovenproof dish, discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs and set aside.
4. For the mash, add the potato to a pot of cold water. Season well with salt then place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and start to fall apart when poked with a fork.
5. Drain the potatoes into a colander then allow to steam for 5 minutes.
6. Add the butter and milk to a separate saucepan and slowly warm then, using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes into the pan and stir everything together.
7. Add in the egg yolk and cheddar and season well with sea salt and black pepper, stirring until smooth.
8. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
9. If you’re feeling fancy, add the mash into a piping bag. Cut off the end, then pipe the mash all over the top of the beef mixture. Alternatively just spoon the mash on top and use the back of the spoon to spread the mash out to the edges. Give the mash an extra sprinkle of black pepper and bake in the oven for 25 mins until the top is starting to brown and the filling is bubbling.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes then serve into warmed bowls.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 slices smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped

2.2 lbs minced beef

2 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves picked

2 tsp all-purpose flour

0.85 cups dark ale

3.4 cups beef stock

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

For the mash topping:

1.75 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 egg yolk

3.5 oz white cheddar, grated

Sea salt and ground black pepper to season

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 slices smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped

1kg minced beef

2 tbsp thyme, leaves picked

2 tsp plain flour

200ml dark ale

800ml beef stock

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

For the mash topping:

800g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

75g butter

100ml milk