Cottage pie

Ingredients

• 750 g beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
• 1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 400 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 150 g frozen peas
• 1.2 kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 50 g butter
• 100 ml milk
• salt and black pepper
• 50 g Cheddar, grated · can skip

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat and brown the mince for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery, lower the heat and cook for 8 minutes, until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée and flour for a minute, then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Simmer for 25 minutes, until thick, adding the peas for the last 5 minutes. Season.
4. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and mash with the butter and milk, and season.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Spoon the filling into a baking dish of about 2.5 litres and let it cool for a few minutes.
6. Spread the mash over the top, rough it up with a fork, and scatter over the cheese, if using.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling at the edges.