Me, Gloria and Mary sat on a roof eating cottage pie

Gloria

I'm still here and it's stupid o'clock. My third day confined to my sick bed and after a night of high fever inducing delirious dreams with an angel at my head and the devil at my feet I feel like Ebenezer Scrooge as he awoke on Christmas morning, relieved that he made it through the night. I realise I'm really missing my food. Sometime during the night, between being pursued through Narnia by the armies of the White Witch and finding myself in a hall of mirrors with the mad guy from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,  I was sat in the company of Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford. We were tucking into a cottage pie, red cabbage, pickled onions and crusty bread on the roof of The Merril Department Store...Don't ask, I have absolutely no idea.

Mary

Anyhows, I've cooked a lot of cottage pies, varying the ingredients and quantities looking for a perfect balance of taste and texture. I think I've found it with this version. It has become the housemate's favourite comfort dish. There is enough here to feed 8-10 people, but I alway's make two dishes..one for dinner, one to freeze. Give it a go, I'm confident it will become one of your 'keepers'

 COTTAGE PIE

3 tbsp olive oil
1kg/2lb lean beef mince
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato puree
850ml/1 1/2 pints beef stock (I use Bovril stock cubes for their deep meaty flavour)
a dash of gravy browning, about a 1/4 tsp
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves


FOR THE MASH
2.2kg/5lb Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cauliflower, broken into florets (optional)
225ml/8fl oz milk
25g/1oz butter
200g/7oz strong cheddar cheese, grated (more if you want)
freshly grated nutmeg


Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan and fry the mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside in a colander to drain any fat as it browns. Put the rest of the oil into the pan, add the vegetables and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins. Add the garlic, flour and tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan. Add the stock, gravy browning,Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Taste and season well but go careful on the salt as the Bovril stock is quite salty, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.

Meanwhile, make the mash.  Either steam the potatoes (my preference) or place the potatoes in a large saucepan in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the milk, butter, and three-quarters of the cheese, then season with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper.

TIP: I like to add extra veg, so I usually steam a whole cauliflower, broken into florets, and add them to the potatoes before mashing together.

Spoon meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato. Spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden. Or follow the steps (below) to freeze.

Freezing
Make sure the pie is completely cold, then cover it well with cling film and freeze. Always freeze the pie on the day that you make it. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then cook as per the recipe. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, cover with foil and cook for 1½ hrs. Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7, uncover and cook for 20 mins more, until golden and bubbling.