Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie and Shepherds Pie seems interchangeable however they are different. Cottage pie is made with minced beef and Shepherds pie made with minced lamb. The term cottage pie was in use by 1791 and the term shepherds pie didn't appear until 1854. 

Originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The name Cottage Pie was introduced at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that poorer people in Britain, the people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. 

Other savoury pie variations include: 

St. Stephen's Day Pie: made with turkey or ham. 

Cumberland Pie: made with either beef or lamb and a layer of breadcrumbs and cheese on top. 

Fish Pie: made with seafood and a béchamel sauce topped with mashed potatoes.

Shepherdess Pie: a vegan or vegetarian alternative.  

Pâté Chinois: a French Canadian version of the dish made with a layer of minced beef, canned creamed corn and mashed potatoes. 

Other countries that have similar dishes are the Netherlands with Philosopher's Stew, Brazil's Escondidinho, Argentinian Pastel de Papa, Uruguayan Pastel de Carne, Indonesia Pastel Tutup and Portugal's Empadão.  

Cottage Pie

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serves 4 to 6 

50 g/ 2oz butter

575g / 1 1/4 lbs minced beef

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g / 4oz mushrooms, chopped

30ml / 2 tablespoons plain flour

300ml / 1/2 pint Beef stock

5ml / 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

900g / 2 lbs potatoes, halved

30ml / 2 tablespoons milk

pinch of grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan and fry the minced beef until browned, stirring to break up any lumps. Add the chopped onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes or until softened slightly.

Stir in the flour, then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of salted boiling water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain throughly and mash with a potato masher. Beat in the remaining butter and the milk to make a creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Set the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas 6. Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with the potato and mark the top with a fork. Bake for about 25 minutes until the potato topping has browned. 

Leftovers #39 ~ Lentil Curry Cottage Pie

The vegetable lentil curry I made, and posted about the other day, using a slow cooker recipe, makes enough for some delicious leftovers and allows you to be creative. Therefore, I decided on this vegetarian version of a cottage pie. Place the leftovers in a large enough oven proof baking dish and sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Trust me cheese and curry works! Make mashed potatoes as you would, and place the mashed potatoes on top spreading gently and evenly, as you possibly can, over the top. Use your fingers, if you have to. Once the mashed potatoes have formed a lovely top layer; add more shredded cheese and pop in a 350ºF preheated oven until bubbly and the cheese has melted nicely, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to rest for a minute or two and serve.  

Done and time to enjoy this savoury cottage pie. Super easy and a fantastic way you use up those flavourful leftovers.  

Temperatures have cooled and the leaves are beginning to turn yellow. Fall is just around the corner here in E-town. - JD 

Guinness Cottage Pie

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.