Cottage Pie

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a wide pan and brown the beef in two batches over high heat, 6 minutes each, until genuinely dark. Lift out.

   Mark done

2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook 10 minutes until softened, scraping up the fond.

   Mark done

3. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato purée for 2 minutes, then the flour for 2 minutes.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Pour in the wine, boil hard for 3 minutes, then add the stock, Worcestershire, thyme, bay and salt.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

5. Return the beef and simmer, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until thick and glossy. Stir in the peas, discard the bay, and cool.

   Mark done Start 35 min timer

6. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until completely tender, then drain and steam dry for 3 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

7. Mash or rice them, then beat in the butter, warm milk, half the cheese, the egg yolk, nutmeg, salt and white pepper.

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8. Spread the cooled filling in a 2.5 litre dish and top with the mash, starting at the edges to seal it in.

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9. Fork ridges across the surface, scatter with the remaining cheese, and bake at 200°C / 390°F for 30 to 35 minutes until browned and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Ridges are not decoration — they are surface area, and surface area is crisp bits.
• Cool the filling first. Hot gravy and soft mash will merge into one grey layer.
• Rice the potatoes rather than mashing if you want a truly smooth topping; never use a food processor, which turns them to glue.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Buttered greens or peas
• Brown sauce or ketchup, unashamedly
• A robust red or a pint of ale

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days and freeze 3 months. Reheat covered at 180°C / 350°F for 35 minutes, uncovering at the end.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.