Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2fl oz olive oil
• 1 large onion or 3–4 banana shallots, finely chopped
• 1lb 7oz beef mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 5fl oz red wine
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 14fl oz beef stock
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2lb King Edward potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4oz butter
• 4½fl oz milk
• 5½oz frozen peas
• 1¾oz butter

Method

1. Soften the finely chopped onion in half the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan, then tip the onion onto a plate.
2. Brown the beef mince in the remaining oil in the same pan, in batches if the pan is crowded, for 4 to 5 minutes until it is coloured all over.
3. Stir the cooked onion back in with the tomato purée and cook for a minute, then stir in the plain flour and cook for one minute more.
4. Pour in the red wine, scraping the caramelised bits off the base of the pan with a wooden spoon, and add the thyme leaves.
5. Add the beef stock and simmer the filling for 45 minutes, until the mince is tender and the gravy has thickened, then season it and add Worcestershire sauce to taste, keeping it warm over the lowest heat.
6. Boil the chopped potatoes in salted water for 12 to 15 minutes until tender, drain them, return them to the pan over the heat for about a minute to steam dry, then mash them smooth with the 4 oz of butter and the milk and season the mash.
7. Heat the grill to high, spread the mince filling in a baking dish, spoon the mash over the top in an even layer, and grill the pie for 8 to 10 minutes until its peaks turn golden brown.
8. Boil the frozen peas for 3 to 4 minutes while the pie grills, drain them and toss them with the remaining 1¾ oz of butter, and serve the peas beside slices of the cottage pie.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 2 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data