Country Cottage Pie

A humble and wholesome recipe. Made for the ages.

You may ask what's the difference between cottage pie and shepherd's pie? Well, it's simple. Cottage pie is made with beef, while shepherd's pie is made with lamb.

A great dinner on its own or accompanied with some sides.

I keep this recipe simple and straightforward. There's no need to add lots of herbs. Thyme and bay leaves give it a nice simple flavour. Sometimes less is more. You want to cool the filling down. If it's hot, the mash potato will sink in and seep through the mixture. It is not a big deal but helps the texture of the dish.

RECIPE

Makes 2-4 Serves

Preparation & Cooking Time: Roughly 1 Hour & 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 Garlic Cloves Diced

1/2 or 50 Grams Onion Finely Chopped

50 Grams Carrot Peeled and Finely Chopped

50 Grams Peas

50 Grams Corn

250 Grams Beef Mince (Ground Beef)

2 Tablespoons Plain Flour

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

2 Dried Bay Leaves

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Teaspoons Oil for Cooking

1 1/2 Cups Beef Stock or My Master Stock. Recipe Here:

Mashed Potato Topping

300 Grams Potatoes Peeled and Diced

3/4 Cup Milk

30 Grams Butter

DIRECTIONS

Dice the onion, garlic and carrot. Set aside with the corn and peas.

In a pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, peas, corn, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until the onion has turned clear. Add the beef mince (ground beef). Cook it until the mince turns brown. You may need to drain the mix if there is too much oil.

Add the plain flour and stir. Cook it off for 2 minutes. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, mix through. Simmer for 5 minutes until the carrots have just softened. You may need to add some water. You want the gravy to be thick but not reduced too much or too thick. Take it off the heat and let the mixture cool.

While the filling cools, peel then dice your potatoes. Add the potatoes in a pot with water and boil them for 20 minutes until soft. Once cooked, drain the water. Add the butter and milk, then mash it. You may need to add more milk to make it creamier. You don't want the mash too runny though, so be careful.

Use a Pyrex dish or any type of baking tray, that's a good size to make the pie. Layer the cold mixture in the bottom of the dish. Spread it out evenly. Layer in the mash potato on top. Use a knife and flick up to create peaks. Try not to go through all the way as some of the mixture will leak out when it's hot. Put it in a preheated oven 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes until the potato peaks are brown.

Once cooked, it's ready to serve. It's ok if some of the mixture goes through the mashed potato. Plate up, either on its own or with some chips or vegetables. Enjoy!