A Cottage Pie like no other...

Is there a reason cottage pie recipes never have accompanying photos?

What better way to kick off a brand new food and recipe blog than by writing about one of my all time favourite dishes. Cottage pie has got a bit of a bad press, or at least it has in my family- Mum would crack out the Coleman's 'Shepherd's Pie Mix' and apply liberally to create a taste that still makes me shudder today (sorry Mum!).  This is something completely different. Why? Partly because it doesn't have that awful powder going into it, and partly because it contains an ingredient that I don't usually like... Pickle. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it... that's all I'm going to say.

Serves 4

Ingredients

800g minced beef

1 onion- finely diced

1 carrot- halved lengthways and sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp tomato purée

250ml red wine

400ml beef stock

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

a handful of fresh thyme leaves

2 1/2 tbsp Branston pickle (or any other)

For the potatoes:

600g desirée potatoes cut in chunks (these are the best potatoes for mash in my opinion)

30ml milk

2 egg yolks

70g grated cheddar cheese

Put a high-sided pan on a medium heat. Fry the beef in a little oil, adding salt and pepper, for about 6-8 minutes, doing it in batches if the pan isn't big enough to be frying all of it at once. Once browned, transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, retaining the juices in the pan.

Add some more oil if needed and add the onion, carrot and garlic, frying for another 4-5 minutes. Stir often until the onions are golden. Add the flour and the tomato purée and stir for another minute. Add the red wine and scrape the bottom and sides. Let the wine reduce by half.

Pour in beef stock and simmer. Return the mince and add the worcester and thyme. Turn the heat right down and leave for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that is on the hob, boil the potatoes from cold, salted water for around 20 minutes until you can push a knife through the middle. Drain and then leave to allow them to dry in the hot, empty pan for a few minutes. Add the milk and cheese and mash until everything is incorporated. 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Mix the pickle into the sauce and place into an ovenproof dish. Place the mashed potato on top in scattered dollops and use a fork to work it around the dish. Finally, add the beaten egg yolks with a brush and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden.

If you've made too much, don't worry. This dish improves with time!