Cottage Pie

Sometimes only comfort food will do and one of my favourites is Cottage Pie. This is my version adapted from Delia Smith’s original recipe:

Serves 4 to 6

Filling:

500g minced (ground) beef

1 tbsp oil

2 medium onions chopped

2 carrots finely diced

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

½ tsp powdered cinnamon

½ tsp dried mixed herbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 level tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp tomato purée

275 ml beef stock from cube or a Knorr beef stockpot

Salt and pepper

Topping:

Tomato (optional)

Mashed potatoes, made with plenty of added butter.

The pie filling can be made ahead of time. Brown the minced beef into a non-stick frying over a high heat, constantly turning and stirring the mince until it is no longer pink and the fat has come out. If there is a lot of fat, pour the mince into a sieve and set aside to drain over a bowl. If it is very low fat mince just set aside.

Gently sweat the onion, carrot and garlic in a large covered saucepan stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent , about 10 minutes. Add the mince, season with the salt and pepper and add Delia’s secret weapon, the cinnamon ( this is what makes this pie so special for me), the mixed herbs and parsley. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir it in. Add the tomato purée and the stock and bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes. You can make this with minced cooked beef, which was probably the original version, in which case you will only need to simmer the filling for about 10 minutes.

This makes enough pie filling for three meals for us two when served with other vegetables, so I divide the mixture into 3 portions, freeze 2 and put one portion into a well buttered pie dish to cool. The dish I use for 2 people is approx. 15 cm diameter and 5 cm deep.

About half an hour before you are ready to eat, cover the filling with a single layer of thinly sliced tomato (optional) then with a good layer of mashed potato, roughen the top with a fork and put in a pre-heated hot oven Gas Mark 6, 200deg C, 400 deg F for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

You can sprinkle grated cheese over the topping before you bake it, or make the mash with 50/50 potato and celeriac, or swede and carrot, whatever you like. Serve with vegetables of your choice or just enjoy it on its own.

P.S. If you want to make Shepherd’s Pie, just substitute minced (ground) lamb for the beef.