Since it is St. Patrick's Day, I made a Cottage Pie. Normally this pie does not have any Guinness however I decided to add some. It adds a bit of flavour while reiterating this pie's Irish roots.
Guinness Cottage Pie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 onion, peeled and diced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 pound of chicken mince (ground meat), beef or lamb would work as well
1/2 can of Guinness, or a whole can
1 large tin (796ml) of no-salt diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch plus just a bit of water
11 medium-large potatoes, peeled and diced, cooked then mashed
You want to sauté the diced onions in a pan with a bit of vegetable oil. When just about softened add your choice of mince (ground meat). When mince is just about cooked add half a can... or a whole can of Guinness, whatever your preference is, allow the mince to absorb some of the Guinness. Add the frozen peas and sliced carrots and let everything simmer together for a bit. Allowing the Guinness to be absorbed by the meat, peas, and carrots. Then add a large can of diced tomatoes... some thyme, cumin, and salt and pepper. Simmer a bit further. then remove from heat.
Peel and dice potatoes, for this size of pie I used 11 potatoes but it depends on the size of the pie you are making. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot cover with water and boil until tender. Once tender, a fork goes through them easily, remove from heat and drain. Mash the cooked potatoes how you usually do, add some butter, stir until melted and then add just a bit of milk. Stir until smooth... well some what smooth. They are potatoes and lumps are fine.
If the meat mixture has a bit of liquid, place the cornstarch in a small bowl and add some water just enough to moisten the cornstarch, not too thick however not to thin of a consistency. Add this to the meat mixture and stir. This will thicken the so called gravy. Spread the meat mixture in an oven proof baking dish. Place the mashed potatoes on top in spoonfuls and smooth with a fork or knife. Completely covering the meat mixture, it doesn't have to be smooth. A rougher looking topping gives it a more rustic homemade feel. Place in a preheated 375ºF oven for about 15-20 minutes until nice and bubbly and the potato topping has started to crisp. Then turn the oven on to broil and let the potato topping crisp up a bit further. Once nicely crisp, remove from oven. Let sit for a few minutes then serve. It can be served with a side of cooked kale, kale salad, or green beans.
