Have you heard of cottage pie? This is a British casserole dish containing one layer of minced beef with some veggies and one layer of mashed potatoes. It is baked with some melted cheddar on top. Typically it is served with peas. I already have the so called shepherd’s pie on the blog. This is a similar dish, however, it contains lamb instead of beef. Since it has been very popular among my readers, I decided to add cottage pie. I personally like cottage pie a lot, probably more than shepherd’s pie. Probably because I was born in Uruguay, which is known for exporting a lot of beef. I find this pie perfect in fall and winter, it is such a comfy dish. May I interest you in making it?
Unfortunately the Brits are not well known for the cuisine, which I find a pity. Sure, you probably don’t want to compare it to French patisserie, but this does not mean they don’t have some nice dishes out there. Probably more hearty and down-to-earth. In my opinion they nailed how to do proper soul food. What I like about cottage pie is the fact that you can make components in advance and you may even freeze the entire dish and only need to bake it before serving, see instructions below in the recipe.
Cottage pie is a British layer casserole, one layer minced beef with a few veggies and mashed potatoes on top. This is then baked in the oven with melted cheddar. You can see how I make it in this small video. For the beef layer peel and cut onions and carrots. Add a bit of oil to a large frying pan and fry the minced meat. Fry for 10 minutes while stirring, the water will evaporate and the meat caramelize, add a bit more oil if needed. Once done, add the onions and carrots and fry for about five minutes. Peel and cut the garlic, add to the mix. Add the tomatoe paste and stir, wait for it to caramelize a bit. Add soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of broth and wine and stir. Wait for the liquid to evaporate. Now add broth and wine, little by little, stir and wait for the liquid to evaporate before adding the next batch. Do so until you have no broth or wine left. Season with the herbs listed above to taste. I needed about 45 minutes from start to finish. Either transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish or keep in frying pan if ovenproof. Meanwhile peel potatoes for mashed potatoes. Cut into pieces and cook for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain, and add all ingredients except for cheddar and parsley, mash. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the beef layer. You may use a fork to create some nice patterns such as waves. Bake for 15 minutes on lowest rack, then take out, sprinkle the cheddar on top and change oven function to a broil. Broil for about 5 minutes on medium rack, be sure to keep an eye on it, mine was done after four minutes. Wait for the cheese to melt and for it to have a golden color. Serve with freshly cut parsley. Cottage pie can be made in advance, prepare until baking step and store in the fridge covered airtight overnight or for a few days. You can also freeze and need to bake it about 15 minutes longer (so 30 minutes and then grill the cheese).Cottage Pie
Ingredients
Instructions
P.S.: You will find the version with lamb in this shepherd’s pie recipe.
No Comments