Classic Cottage Pie

Serves 2 / Difficulty – Medium / Prep 30 minutes and 45 minutes cooking time

One of the ultimate comfort foods, this is my tasty version of an English classic. Swap beef for lamb and you get a Shepherds pie.

Ingredients

For the filling

250g of minced beef

1 onion

1 small carrot

1 stick of celery

200ml of beef stock

200g of tinned tomatoes

1 teaspoon of English mustard

A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce

1 sprig of rosemary

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Beef gravy for thickening

For the mash

2-3 large Maris Piper potatoes

Teaspoon of English mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon of double cream

Milk

Butter

2 handfuls of cheddar cheese

Method

1. In a medium saucepan brown the mince, remove and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add the chopped vegetables and cook until softened.
3. Add the mince back to the vegetables, add the stock, tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, the bay leaves and the rosemary. Cook for 45 minutes.
4. After 45 minutes, remove the rosemary and bay leaves, stir in some gravy granules until the sauce has thickened. Tip the ingredients into an oven proof dish and leave to cool slightly (cooling allows you to spread the mash easier on top).
5. Peel and chop the potatoes into equal sizes and boil in salted water until softened.
6. Mash the potatoes with a potato ricer.
7. Add lots of black pepper, one handful of cheddar, the cream, a knob of butter, mustard, cream, then stir, slowly adding enough milk until you get a nice thick mash. Check for salt.
8. Carefully spread the mash over the meat filling. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar, then dot with small pieces of butter.
9. Put in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 30-45 minutes or until the top is a nice crispy golden colour.