Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1½ Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped*
1 rib celery, finely chopped*
1½ lb ground beef (mince)
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups beef stock / broth
½ cup red wine
1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
Topping
2½ lb potatoes, peeled and cut
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
Nutmeg (optional)
Olive oil
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Directions: |
Directions:Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion & garlic, cook for 1 min. Then add carrots & celery. Cook 5 min until softened & sweet. Turn heat to high. Add beef; cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned. Add flour; mix, then add tomato paste; mix. Add beef stock, red wine, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme & bay leaves. Bring to simmer, turn down heat so it is simmering rapidly. Cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to gravy consistency. Transfer to 6 cup pie dish. Cover. Refrigerate to cool for 1-2 hrs or overnight.
Assemble Pie
Preheat oven to 350º. Cook potatoes until soft. Drain; return to pot. Shake briefly and allow to steam dry. Add butter & mash until melted, add milk, salt (+ optional nutmeg). Mash. Spread onto pie, use fork to rough up the surface (rougher surface = more golden bits), drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.
Notes
* Carrots & celery are used to make great base for pie, can be omitted, add 1 tsp of sugar instead.
1. Whatever thickness of sauce when you pour it into the tin, that's what it will be once baked - no steam escapes while baking to allow it to reduce any further.
2. Cooling the filling ensures that potato doesn't sink into filling. If you are in a rush - pop in freezer while you make potato.
3. Watery potatoes drops excess liquid while baking in the filling which makes sauce watery. So don't skip step of steam drying potatoes! Also, make sure mash is hot when spreading on the pie.
4. Variations: If making for company or on a calorie-blow-out mission, add a big handful of cheese into potato and top with more cheese before baking.
For filling, reduce the amount of beef and add chopped veggies like zucchini.
5. Make ahead instructions: Assemble pie but don't bake it. Cool mashed potato topping then either refrigerate or freeze. |
This recipe for Shepard's Pie-Cottage Pie is from