Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie

A classic British comfort dish of minced beef simmered with onion, carrot and a rich gravy, capped with creamy mashed potato and baked until the topping is golden and crisp at the peaks.

Prep

25 min

Cook

55 min

Total

80 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) potatoes (Maris Piper or Russet), floury variety, for fluffy mash
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) whole milk, warmed, or use half milk half single cream
• •50 g (3½ Tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for finishing
• •500 g (1.1 lb) minced beef (12-15% fat), British-style beef mince; lean mince benefits from an extra splash of oil
• •1 whole large onion, finely diced
• •2 whole medium carrots, finely diced
• •2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
• •2 Tbsp tomato purée
• •1 Tbsp plain flour
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) hot beef stock, from a cube is fine; low-sodium preferred
• •1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, the British staple; Lea & Perrins is standard
• •1 tsp Dijon or English mustard
• •2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked, or ½ tsp dried
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf, dried, optional but traditional
• •30 ml (2 Tbsp) neutral oil, sunflower or vegetable, for the filling
• •fine sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and cut into even 3 cm chunks. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer 15-18 minutes until a knife slides through easily. Drain well and steam-dry for 1-2 minutes over the lowest heat.
2. 2 Return the potatoes to the pan with the butter and warm milk. Season with salt and pepper and mash until smooth and thick; it should hold its shape on a spoon, not slump. Set aside.
3. 3 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pan (about 24 cm) or a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced beef in a single layer and let it colour without stirring for 2 minutes, then break it up and brown well for 6-8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
4. 4 Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised. Stir in the garlic for the final minute.
5. 5 Stir in the tomato purée and cook 1 minute until it turns brick-red and smells sweet. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
6. 6 Gradually pour in the hot stock, stirring constantly, then add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, thyme and bay. Return the beef (and any juices) to the pan and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste; the filling should be well seasoned as the potato will mellow it. Remove the bay leaf.
7. 7 Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C / 350°F fan) and place a rack in the upper third. If your pan isn't ovenproof or you want a proper crisp finish, transfer the filling to a 1.5 litre baking dish.
8. 8 Spoon the mash over the filling in large dollops, then spread to the edges with a fork to create rough peaks and ridges; the peaks are what turn golden and crisp. Dot the top with a few small flakes of butter.
9. 9 Bake on the upper rack for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling up at the edges and the potato peaks are deep golden brown and crisp. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
10. 10 Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving so the gravy settles. Serve with peas, buttered green beans or steamed cabbage, and extra Worcestershire or redcurrant jelly on the side.