Traditional English Cottage Pie

This recipe was found on Good Food website and said to bethe recipe used by Jamie Oliver's parents

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 large cottage pie bake

Ingredients

• 400  ml  beef stock (can use 1 stock cube dissolved in 400mls hot water)
• 50  g butter
• 2  onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2  carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2  celery, trimmed and finely diced
• 3  garlic cloves
• 1  sprig fresh thyme
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  kg minced beef (ground beef)
• 2  tablespoons tomato puree
• 2  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4  drops Tabasco sauce
• 175  ml red wine

• For the mash topping

• 1  kg white potato
• 75  g butter
• 1  splash milk
•  parmesan cheese, for grating

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and fry over a medium/low heat for 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.
2. Add the beef mince and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until brown.
3. Add the tomato purée, worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, then stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the red wine. Let it bubble away and reduce for 5 minutes then add the stock and reduce to a medium heat. Simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring often.
5. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into halves and quarters so they’re all a fairly even size. Cook in a pan of boiling, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry.
6. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
7. Taste the mince and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Transfer it to an ovenproof dish (approximately 20cm by 30cm).
8. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper then spread over the top of the mince.
9. Finely grate over a little parmesan cheese then cook for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
10. Serve with buttered peas or a simple side salad.