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This recipe for cottage pie can be made with lamb to make Shepherds Pie. Cottage pie is a firm favourite with many.
 Ingredients
250g lean minced beef
75g onion
50g carrot
50g mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato purée
Approx. 125ml beef stock
10g plain flour
Vegetable oil, to shallow fry
Sea salt / pepper
Approx. 300g mash potato mix (without cream, butter or milk)
Small egg, for egg wash
Mushroom sauce, as accompaniment
Mise en place
1. Make the beef stock.
2. Peel and finely dice the onions.
3. Wash, peel and rewash the carrot and cut into fine dice.
4. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut into fine dice.
5. Prepare the mash potato mix without any butter, cream or milk. We just want a nice, fluffy, seasoned mashed potato.
6. Break the egg into a small bowl, beat and put aside for the egg wash.
7. Weigh and measure all the ingredients.
Method
1. Heat a touch of oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat on the hob. Add the onion and allow to sweat for a few moments until the onion is soft.
2. Next, add the minced beef and diced carrot to the pan. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the beef begins to colour. Mix in the diced mushrooms.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute or two to allow the flour to cook out.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the tomato purée.
5. Meanwhile, pour the stock into another saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
6. Return the minced beef to the heat and slowly stir in the hot beef stock, a little at a time. Season to taste, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Then, spoon it into an ovenproof dish and allow to cool slightly.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4).
8. When the mince beef has cooled, carefully spoon the mashed potato on top. Using a damp knife, smooth out the mashed potato to cover the top of the pie. Then, using a dinner fork, run it over the pie a few times to slightly rough up the potato.
9. Place the cottage pie on a baking tray and gently egg wash the top and place into the pre-heated oven to bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the top of the cottage pie is a light golden brown.
10. Remove the cottage pie from the oven and spoon the cottage pie onto warmed plates and serve with an accompaniment of hot mushroom sauce.
- You can, of course, exchange the minced beef for lean minced lamb to give you shepherd’s pie
- Cottage pie is a lovely dish for a cold winter’s day served with seasonal vegetables such as curly kale
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