Carol’s Cottage Pie is one of those dishes that makes you enjoy the colder months. Carol, my lovely aunt always makes this, and makes it in bulk. When she cooks a roast beef for Sunday lunch, you can guarantee the leftovers are going into the cottage pie. The lovely thick gravy combines with the Worcestershire sauce and herbs to create a sauce that it truly hard to beat.
It may sound strange but this dish actually goes so well with simple salad. The contrast is perfect and the heavy carbohydrate pie is balanced by the salad. Alternatively spiced honey carrots and parsnip make a beautiful partnership. However, on of the most requested on a cold day is cottage pie and baked beans. A carbohydrate kick but so filling and soothing.
This recipe is perfect for making in advance. It will happily sit in the fridge for up to 4 days prior to being cooked. Also, this cottage pie can be frozen. Prepare it so the mash is on the beef with the butter and cheese and then once fully cooled, wrap tightly in greaseproof/parchment and then clingfilm tightly and pop in the freezer. When you need it, cook from frozen for an hour or so at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 5.
Carol’s Cottage Pie
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 650 g beef leftover or mince
- 2 cloves garlic peel/mince
- 1 large onion peel/finely chop
- 1 large carrot peel/finely chop
- 400 ml beef stock premade or cube
- 125 ml red wine drinkable wine
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 30 g all purpose flour plain
- 45 g tomato paste puree
- 1 cube beef stock
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 leaves bay
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
Topping Ingredients
- 1 kg baking potatoes floury
- 135 ml full fat milk
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 50 g cheddar parmesan/finely grated
- 20 g unsalted butter dice
Instructions
- Place a large frying pan/skillet over a medium high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the garlic and onions and fry for 2 minutes until taking on a little colour.2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp oil, 1 large onion
- Add the carrot and continue to fry until softened.1 large carrot
- Increase the heat to high and add the beef. If your using leftovers, then you only needt o warm it up but if your cooking raw beef mince then cook it until browned all over making sure to break up any lumps.650 g beef
- Add the all-purpose flour and stir in well before adding the wine, beef Stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste/puree, crumbled stock cube, thyme, bay, salt and black pepper. Stir really well to fully combine.125 ml red wine, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 30 g all purpose flour, 45 g tomato paste, 1 cube beef stock, 1 tsp thyme, 2 leaves bay, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 400 ml beef stock
- Adjust the heat until the contents begin to simmer and leave for 30 minutes or until the liquid becomes a lovely gravy like consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Stir and taste again. If your happy remove from the heat and pour into the baking dish you will be serving it in. Allow to cool as its easier to assemble the pie off when the filling is cold as the mashed potato wont sink.
- Place a large pan of water over a high heat and add the potatoes. Leave to cook or until the potatoes are soft though out. Drain the potatoes using a colander/sieve giving them a good shake and place over the pan to steam dry. You need to remove as much moisture as possible to prevent a diluted pie.1 kg baking potatoes
- Turn on the oven and preheat to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Drain any liquid form the pan and tip the potatoes back in. Add the unsalted butter and begin to mash until the butter is melted and been absorbed.25 g unsalted butter
- Slowly add the milk a little at a time, mashing as you go until the mash is lovely and smooth. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir to mix well.135 ml full fat milk
- Spoon the mash on top of the beef filling and using the back of a fork rake the mash into place leaving decorative fork marks.
- Add a few small knobs of butter around the potato and then sprinkle the grated cheese all over.50 g cheddar, 20 g unsalted butter
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the potato is browning and the cheese is bubbling away.
- Place a skewer into the middle of the pie and pull out to test the temperature. Don’t want a cool middle. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes prior to serving.
