Cottage pie
I made this recipe 2 weeks ago but I wasn't completely happy with it. I don't often disagree with Darina Allen but the recipe didn't have enough thyme and it had way too much roux. It tasted meaty, which is technically good but a bit more thyme couldn't be better, and it tasted floury, hence too much roux.
So this week I decided to re-do the recipe. More thyme + ½ roux = perfection!
Serves: 6 persons.
Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves, mashed
- 1 large onion, chopped (200g)
- 500g minced beef
- 2.5 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 150ml dry white or red wine
- 300ml beef stock
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 25g Parmegiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 25g Cheddar cheese, grated
- salt & pepper to taste
- olive oil
- For the roux:
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- For the potato mash:
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
- 200ml milk
- 20g butter
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)
Method:
- Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and slightly brown.
- Increase the heat, add the minced beef and thyme and fry until the beef changes colour.
- Add the wine, ½ stock, Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée. Simmer for 10 min.
- Make the roux: melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 2 min on a low heat stirring occasionally.
- Bring the remainder of the stock to the boil and thicken it with the roux. Or add the remaining stock to the roux and thicken it.
- Stir the mixture into the mince - it should be thick but still juicy. Taste and correct the seasoning.
- Make the potato mash: boil the potatoes, drain, mash, add the milk and butter and salt & pepper to taste and stir, add the chives if using.
- Put the meat mixture into 1 large or 6 individual pie dishes.
- Pipe or spread the potato mash over the top.
- Sprinkle the grated cheeses over the top.
- Bake for 30 min in a 180°C oven until the top is golden and slightly crispy.
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