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Cottage pie is traditional
British recipe.
Traditionally, it was made from leftover beef (from roast beef, eaten
on the previous Sunday), but today
it is usually made from ground ("minced") beef.
Cottage pie does not have a pastry crust, but instead is
topped with mashed potato, and sometimes cheese as well.
Here are the ingredients:
- 6 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 pound (½ kilogram) of ground ("minced") beef
- 1 medium onion (peeled and chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled, and chopped or grated)
- Beef stock (1 cup),
or gravy granules or gravy powder or a gravy cube,
or oxtail soup
- Frozen peas (½ cup)
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Worcester sauce
- Grated cheese (optional)
- Paprika (optional)
- Fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Here are the steps to prepare the dish:
- Take the potatoes, peel and cut them into small cubes.
Boil the potatoes in water with a pinch of salt, until they are cooked
all the way through (you can check with a fork) - this should take about 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the water, and then mash them until you have achieved a smooth texture without lumps.
During the mashing process, mix in 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat a skillet containing a little olive oil. Add the ground ("minced") beef
and cook it, stirring thoroughly so the meat cooks evenly. Add the chopped onion and carrot after
a few minutes cooking, allowing them to cook for about 5 minutes. The meat will become brown during
the cooking process, and when the cooking is complete, remove the skillet from the heat.
Note: If the beef contains a lot of fat, you can try to carefully spoon out some of the excess the fat during the cooking process.
Keep the fat that you removed in a bowl, so that you can add some to the gravy (see next step).
- The next step is to make gravy. It is possible to use gravy from a can,
or use
gravy granules,
gravy powder or a
gravy cube.
However, if you prefer, you also have the option to make
gravy from scratch. Alternatively, you can use a can of oxtail soup instead
of gravy if you prefer.
If you prefer to make gravy from scratch: Cook 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour together in a fresh pan, stirring
as you go, and being carefully not to burn the mixture. Then add the stock, and a dash of Worcester
sauce. You can also add a spoon of fat, left over from the cooking process. The gravy should soon thicken.
- Add the gravy (or oxtail soup) to the cooked beef, stir it in, and also mix in the frozen peas.
- Transfer the meat/vegetable mixture into a baking dish, then spread the mashed potato evenly on top -
it will probably easiest if you start from the edges and work your way towards the middle. You can also
fluff up the mashed potato with a fork to make some peaks. Additionally,
you can if you wish, sprinkle some paprika or grated cheese on top of the dish.
Place the baking dish in a preheated oven, 375°F (190°C; Gas Mark 5), and cook for approximately
20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
- When the dish is cooked, it is ready to serve. However, the cottage
pie will be very hot, so be careful, and remember that you have to wait
a few minutes before it is ready to eat.
If you like parsley, you can garnish your cottage pie with it before
serving.
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