Cottage Pie
By Deputy Editor Amber Beard
When I was growing up in Ireland in the seventies, there wasn’t much choice in the way of food available in the shops and there were very few supermarkets, so classic dinners were what my mum prepared. Cheap to make and with the ever available Irsih spud, cottage pie was my comfort food of choice and I’m still a great fan to this day. You can upgrade your pie with cheese on top, by adding carrots or peas or celery or you can just keep it simple with lashings of gravy on the side. Perfect for cold winter dinners.
Ingredients
1kg Floury potatoes peeled and quartered
A thick slice of butter
2 Onions peeled and chopped
600g Minced beef
A few sprigs of thyme
A few shakes of Worcester sauce
350ml Beef stock
Method
Boil and mash the potatoes, adding a thick slice of butter as you mash. Soften 2 large onions, peeled and chopped in a little butter. When the are golden, add 600g minced beef, letting it brown thoroughly. Now add your salt, pepper, thyme and a shake or two of Worchestershire sauce and about 350ml of stock. Let the mixture simmer gently for 30 minutes. Tip the beef into a shallow baking dish, top with the mash, dot with a little butter then bake for 35-40 minutes in a hot oven till the surface is crisp. Serves 4
