Traditional Cottage Pie

Traditional Cottage Pie is a popular British comfort food, and nation’s favorite. This simple yet delicious dish is a great combination of rich meaty sauce and creamy&cheesy mashed potatoes. It’s the perfect weekday meal as it is quite easy to prepare. Also, it is child friendly as it has a mild flavors, so if you’re having a family over for dinner, this Cottage Pie recipe is a good option.

What is the Difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie?

There are other versions of this classic dish and the most famous one is the Shepherd’s Pie. The main difference between them is that Shepherd’s Pie has lamb mince instead of beef. This British classic is very easy to cook and also very affordable. The name “Cottage Pie” was first used at the end of the 18th century when people who lived in cottages in the country started using potatoes as an everyday food as it was quite affordable.

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How to Make Traditional Cottage Pie?

This is a very simple and straightforward recipe to follow. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow few simple steps:

• Prepare the Meat Sauce – Heat a heavy based pan or a dutch oven on medium heat and brown the mince until it release its fat. Most of the recipes start with browning the onions in oil first then add the meat in, but I prefer to start browning the meat. This way, the meat release some fat to sauté the onions/vegetables. And you might get away with not adding any extra oil or only just a little bit depending on the fat percentage of the meat. Add olive oil if necessary and sauté the onions until lightly brown. Add the garlic, sauté for another minute then add the celery and carrots. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the vegetables are slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and sprinkle on the flour, give it a quick stir. Deglaze the pan with port or red wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and put the lid on. Let it gently simmer for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until the meat is soft and the gravy has thickened. Stir every half an hour or so to avoid the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan. The presence of the flour makes the sauce easier to stick to the bottom and burn if not stirring occasionally. When the meat sauce is cooked, add the frozen peas and pour the sauce into an oven dish (approximately 25 mm diameter). Let it cool down for 30 minutes before adding the mashed potatoes to avoid them sinking in the meat sauce.

• Prepare the Mashed Potatoes – Preheat the fan oven to 180°C and start preparing the mashed potatoes while the meat sauce is cooling down. Peel and cut the potatoes in chunks and place in a saucepan with plenty of cold water. Always start cooking the potatoes with cold water for even cooking. If you put your potatoes in boiling water, the outside will be mashy and start to flake while the core is still uncooked. Put the pan on medium heat and bring to the boil, bring the heat down and let the potatoes gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well and return the potatoes back to the pan. Put the pan back on low heat and let all the water to evaporate for 30 seconds then remove from the heat. Add the double cream, butter, salt and pepper. Mash with using a masher or a ricer until smooth. Add the cheese and egg yolks and give it a quick stir to combine.

• Combine and Cook the Cottage Pie – Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat sauce and cover completely. Fluff the top using a fork for extra crispiness. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the top of the Cottage Pie is golden brown and piping hot.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this Traditional British Cottage Pie as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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