Cottage pie. Prepare this English recipe more easily!

INDEX:
Cottage pie. Prepare this English recipe more easily!

Ingredients

Preparation of the ingredients

Cooking the meat

Preparation of the puree

Making the cottage pie

Result

Cottage Pie is a traditional English dish of minced beef with mashed potatoes au gratin. Researchers believe that the origin of this English recipe dates back to the 18th century when people started to reuse the leftover meat from the Sunday roast to prepare a new dish the following day. Over time, it became popular in some countries, such as Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. It also became influential in the gastronomy of many other South American countries.

Cottage pie is a very versatile dish that is adaptable to suit everyone’s tastes. Although its classic version is made with minced beef stewed with different vegetables and covered with a layer of mashed potatoes au gratin, some exciting variations have appeared nowadays. Some include cheddar cheese in the mashed potatoes, additional ingredients such as mushrooms, and the use of different types of meat or vegan versions.

Whatever the case, cottage pie is a comforting dish, perfect for cold winter days. And even though its preparation requires some expertise and patience, if you follow this recipe, you will realize it is easier than you thought. Do you dare?

INGREDIENTS TO PREPARE THE COTTAGE PIE FOR 5 PERSONS

• 1kg minced beef
• 2 red onions
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 4 celery stalks
• 4 small carrots
• 800gr of crushed tomato
• 1 glass of red wine
• 2 glasses of beef broth
• 6 potatoes
• Nutmeg
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Laurel leaves
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Milk
• Grated cheese
• Butter

PREPARATION OF COTTAGE PIE INGREDIENTS

1. • Chop the vegetables as finely as possible.

Cooking the meat

2. • Melt a tablespoon of butter in a deep frying pan. Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat. Add salt to taste.

3. • Stir in the carrot and celery. Continue cooking over medium heat until tender.

4. • Add the minced meat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir it occasionally so it cooks uniformly and mixes well with the vegetables.

5. • When the meat is almost ready, add the crushed tomato, and stir it a little to distribute it all over the frying pan. Let it reduce over medium heat.

6. • After a few minutes, the tomato will have reduced. Now it is time to pour the wine and season to taste with thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. In this case, I have used two small branches of the first two and four leaves of the last one. Be careful with aromatic herbs. If you use too much, you will spoil the stew’s flavor.

7. • Reduce the stew over medium heat for at least an hour. Add beef broth if necessary to prevent it from drying out completely. The longer you cook it, the tastier the result will be. It is worth being patient! When the liquid has almost completely evaporated, it will be ready..

Preparation of the cottage pie puree

8. • While you are cooking the stew, start preparing the mashed potatoes. To do this, peel, cut, and boil the potatoes until they have completely softened.

9. • Next, strain the potatoes and mash them. Add milk gradually until you get a creamy but compact texture. Season it with salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and grated cheese until you get the desired flavor.

Making the cottage pie

10. • Spread the stew in a deep baking dish creating a thick first layer.

11. • Add a layer of puree as thick as the meat one. Draw grooves with a fork to promote the gratin.

12. • Bake it in a preheated oven at 180º and gratinate the top layer of puree.

13. • Let it rest to enhance the flavors. Enjoy it!

RESULT: COTTAGE PIE IS A DELICIOUS ENGLISH RECIPE!

Even though cottage pie is an English recipe that requires time and dedication, I recommend you let it rest once it is ready. Indeed, if you refrigerate it, the flavors and aromas will blend and intensify. To me, it’s much better the day after you prepare it.

And if you have never tried cottage pie, you will be interested to know that it has an intense and comforting flavor. On the one hand, the taste of the meat and vegetable stew is perfectly balanced with the smoothness of the mashed potatoes. On the other hand, the juicy texture of the former combines wonderfully with the creaminess of the latter. In addition, the aromatic herbs and spices add nuances that make it a tasty and complex dish. In short, you should try it once in your life. This English recipe will not leave you indifferent!

If you have dared with this recipe, why don’t you try to prepare a lasagna following the authentic recipe? You will quickly realize that the first steps are similar, but the results are different. Of course, both dishes are finger-licking good!