Proper Posh Cottage Pie

Wed, 13 March 2019

Ingredients

·         500g steak mince ( about 7% fat )

·         250g minced rib / shin beef or lamb mince

·         50g beef dripping

·         10g butter

·         2 carrots

·         2 leeks

·         4 sprigs rosemary

·         400mls beef stock

·         1 heaped tsp bovril

·         1 heaped tsp tomato puree

·         1 heaped tsp cornflour

·         Optional: 1 or 2 drops of gravy browning

·         1.5 kg potatoes

·         2 egg yolks

 

Method

1.Peel the potatoes. Pop the potatoes in a large saucepan of cool water. Add a pinch of sea salt and bring to the boil. Cook the potatoes until they are tender. Drain through a colander / sieve and allow any excess moisture to steam off as you prepare the rest of the dish.

2.Wash, peel and dice the carrot and leek.

3.In a large saucepan/frying pan melt the beef dripping and butter. Put the mince, carrot, leek and rosemary sprigs into the pan.

4.Sear on a high heat and cook through for 15mins stirring all the time. The meat will be begin to brown and caramelise and the vegetables will begin to soften.

5.Stir in the cornflour and tomato puree.

6.Make up the beef stock with 400 mls of boiling water. Add a tsp bovril to the stock.

7.Pour over the stock and allow the beef mixture to simmer for as long as you can (anywhere between 20 minutes and 1 hour 30mins)

8.As the beef simmers and cooks, mash the potatoes, crack in the egg yolks ( no white ) and stir.

9.Make sure there are no lumps in the mash and it is really smooth. Season with a little salt. Spoon the potato into a piping bag with a large star shaped nozzle.

10.Spoon the beef into an oven proof dish. Pipe the potato on top and bake at 200ºC for 30mins. ( the longer the beef simmers on the hob the less time it will need in the oven ). 

11.Serve with lovely green vegetables cooked in a little butter and garlic.