Cottage Pie Balls

Serves: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 55 mins

4 large - potatoes

2 - carrots

1 - onion

1 lb - minced (ground) beef

- salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 tablespoons - red wine

1 - egg

5 tablespoons - plain flour

4 slices - Emmental cheese

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces of roughly equal size (A medium-sized potato is usually cut into about 6 pieces). Rinse the potatoes to remove any surface starch. Now place them in a large pan with sufficient salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to the boil then turn down the heat and cover the pan so that it continues to boil gently.
Cooking time can vary depending upon the type of potato and the texture. Generally, however, somewhere between 15 - 20 minutes is sufficient. When you think that the potatoes are close to being cooked, pierce one or two of them with a fork. If the fork penetrates easily with little resistance, the potatoes are cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water. Using a potato masher, begin to break up and mash the potatoes. Add the egg and mash in well. This helps stiffen the mash for the next step.
While the potatoes are cooking, peel the carrots and onion and chop into small cubes. Melt a little duck fat into a frying pan, and cook the carrots and onions until they have softened a little (about 5-6 minutes). Add the minced beef (ground beef), season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir into the vegetables, until cooked (about 5 minutes). Add the red wine and mix well. Allow to simmer for a few minutes so that the sauce/gravy thickens.
Place a generous spoonful of mash in a bowl lined with plastic wrap. Push the mashed potato to the edges of the bowl, then add a spoonful of meat into the hollow in the middle. Lift and twist the plastic wrap closed around the potato so that the potato forms a complete envelope, encasing the meat.
One by one, roll the balls in flour, then fry them in hot oil until they are lightly browned.
Arrange the balls in an oven dish, side by side and place a slice of Emmental cheese on each ball. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 350°F - 180°C) for 15 minutes. Lift out with a large spoon and serve with fresh salad.