Cottage pie
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
Serves 6 (generous helpings!)
INGREDIENTS
4 Sebago or Dutch cream potatoes (about 800g)
50g butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 small brown onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
750g lean beef mince
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
1/5 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup plain flour
1 cup beef stock
Ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180*C. Peel the potatoes and boil in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and mash immediately with half the butter, milk and half the salt. Set aside.
In a large frypan or chef’s pan, heat the oil over a medium high heat and add the onion, celery and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes or until transparent and fragrant. Add the beef and cook for a further 6-8 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until all the meat has browned.
Add the tomato paste and saute for a further minute. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir to mix through. Add the stock a little at a time until all incorporated. The meat mixture should be a lovely dark brown colour, and the gravy will be rich.
Place the meat mixture into a 22 x 22cm square glass or ceramic baking dish. Carefully spread the mashed potato over the top and rough it up with a fork – this will help to create lovely crispy bits on top. Dot the top with the remaining butter.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is quite a deep golden brown.
