The ultimate comfort dish very hard to beat this one on a rainy winters day- this dish always takes me back home. It was always a family favourite when we were growing up. It's a step by step back to basics recipe that's
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
- 500g minced beef
- 100g onion- 1 cm dice
- 100 carrot-1 cm dice
- 3 sticks celery -1 cm dice
- 400ml beef stock – use a good quality beef stock cube
- 100g green peas
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5g paprika
- 10 g strong mustard
- 40ml woster sauce
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 20g flour or cornflower
Mash
- 1kg peeled Maris piper or rooster potatoes
- 2 tbsp of finely sliced scallions or chives ( optional )
- 80 g butter
- 1 tsp of salt
Method
- In a wide based pan brown off the mince on a high heat. Don't over fill the pan do in batches if needed – set aside.
- In the same pan reduce the heat to medium add the veg, garlic, tomato puree, thyme & paprika . Cook for 10 minutes. Stirring frequently
- Re-add the mince
- Now stir in the flour & mix well
- Add the mustard, woster sauce & stock
- Simmer for 30 minutes – switch off & add the peas
- Meanwhile between the process put the potatoes in a pan of salted water & bring to the boil – simmer for 20 minutes until a knife pushes through the potato with ease. Remove, strain & leave to steam to dry out the potato.
- Re-add to the same pan & mash with the butter, add the salt & scallion
- Put the cottage pie filling in a baking or casserole dish . I also would use 1 that’s table friendly so it can be served up in the same dish . Spoon or pipe the mash over the filling & either grill for 8-10 minutes or bake for 30 minutes at 180.
- Personally I always think it tastes better the next day so if you wish you can make in advance or make enough for two days.
