Cottage Pie

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 kg minced beef
• 3 large carrots
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 200 g peas, young
• 1 kg potatoes, floury
• 200 ml red wine, dry
• 200 ml beef broth, strong
• 300 ml cream
• 4 garlic cloves
• 50 g butter
• 1 onion(s) (butcher’s)
• 1 tsp, smothered cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• salt and pepper
• 300 g Cheddar cheese, real English, not sliced
• oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 16 hours

A traditional English dish. When prepared correctly, it’s a real treat!

Peel the potatoes, wash the spring onions and slice them into thin rings, chop the garlic (never press), dice the onion, and thinly slice or grate the carrots. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Fry the onions until they begin to turn slightly translucent. Then add half of the chopped garlic and continue to fry, stirring constantly, until the onions are completely translucent—this should happen after about 2-3 minutes. Now add half of the spring onions and fry them for about half a minute. Don’t overcook them, or they’ll become mushy and lose their color. Spread the minced meat in the pan and fry until it’s almost gray throughout, with only a few spots still pink. You should turn the meat regularly and “chop” it with a spatula until it has broken up into many small flakes of minced meat. Deglaze with the red wine and, if necessary, reduce the heat to 2/3. The red wine must now be reduced, stirring constantly, until it has largely lost its alcohol and only the original flavor remains. You’ll know when it’s ready by the smell, when the steam is less pungent. Season well with pepper and a little salt (the meat broth and the cheese for the topping are also salty). Add the cinnamon, pour in the beef broth, and add the carrots, tomato paste, and peas. To avoid having minced meat soup floating in your cottage pie later, reduce the liquid by about 50% or more, stirring occasionally. Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes, drain the cooked potatoes, and leave them in the pot. Add the butter and roughly mash the potatoes. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer gently (careful: it boils over easily!). Add the remaining spring onions, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic and bring to a boil for about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents over the mashed potatoes. Continue mashing the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread the ground beef mixture in a sufficiently large casserole dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Place in the oven at 120°C for about 2-3 hours, until the cheese is golden brown and crispy. Tip: I always prepare the dish the day before and let it cool completely overnight (preferably in the refrigerator). The reason: The meat draws a lot of juices during cooking, making it virtually impossible to serve the cottage pie in one piece. By the next day, the juices will have set and most of them will have reabsorbed into the meat. If you then cut out a piece, it will look as if it were painted. Another advantage is that the flavor can fully develop during the resting time. Whether you then heat the whole cottage pie in the oven or microwave it piece by piece is up to you.