15 mins
Cottage Pie
Recipe by Graham
Cottage Pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato. The Brits have a national fascination with minced meat pies and, when they combined it with mashed potatoes, the Cottage Pie was born. (For a similar dish made with lamb, see Shepherd's Pie)
In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.
Corned Beef and Bacon Hash with Fried Egg 
Country Beef Stew Ingredients for Cottage Pie
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Cottage Pie
- Heat the duck fat in a saucepan and quickly fry the mince until browned (you may need to do this in batches). Set aside as it browns. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the carrot and finely chop the celery.
- Peel and slice the onions and fry them gently in the fat left from the beef until they have softened but not coloured. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1-2 minutes stirring all the time. Very gradually add the beef stock, stirring to avoid lumps from forming, then increase the heat and continue to stir until the mixture boils.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mince, the chopped carrots and chopped celery, cover the pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper then replace the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes until it is cooked through and tender. In the meanwhile, cook the potatoes as described in Creamed Potatoes.
- Place the meat and its sauce into a lightly greased pie dish and then cover with the creamed (mashed) potatoes to form two separate layers. Score a pattern on the surface of the potatoes using the back of a fork then place the dish into a preheated hot oven at Mk 7 - 425ºF - 220ºC for about 10 minutes until browned on top. Serve hot either on its own or with a few peas for a most satisfying meal.
- * If you have don't have the time or inclination to make a beef stock, you can substitute a beef stock cube dissolved in 5 fl oz (150ml - ¼pt) of hot water.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Choose nice lean minced meat otherwise too much fat will be produced
Reviews of Cottage Pie
 December 23 2014Absolutely fantastic recipe. Foolproof. I've never tasted a better cottage pie and it's not difficult either. Doesn't even take a lot of chopping and prepping. I followed all the instructions to the letter and it came out beautifully. Just a tip - it's a good idea to let the filling cool a little before you spread the mash on top as it makes things much easier. I'll definitely make this again and again. This is really tasty, lovely and juicy, is now a firm favourite. You could get away with adding extra celery and carrots so I might try that naxt time. Sandra (4 reviews) |
July 14 2014 I followed the recipe to the letter and made it for my brother who came to visit. He said it was the best cottage pie he had ever tasted. I put what was left into individual foil trays and froze them for another day. With the meat, veg, carbs, and dairy its a very well balanced meal. Kudos for an excellent recipe. NanaC (4 reviews) |
 November 24 2013Easy, delicious recipe. I substituted a glass of red wine for some of the beef stock and it gave it a real depth of flavour. Will definitely follow this one again. Great for my family before settling in front of the TV for the evening while I cleared up!! claudia (2 reviews) |
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The Brits have a national fascination with minced meat pies and, when they combined it with mashed potatoes, the Cottage Pie was born.
