Easy cottage pie
James Martin's easy cottage pie recipe is a family favourite. He goes back to basics to show you how to make a classic version, but easier.
Each serving provides 722 kcal, 28g protein, 37g carbohydrate (of which 6g sugars), 48g fat (of which 23g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.3g salt.
Ingredients
For the cottage pie filling
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 1 large onion or 3–4 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 650g/1lb 7oz beef mince
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 400ml/14fl oz beef stock
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mash
- 900g/2lb King Edward potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 115g/4oz butter
- 125ml/4½fl oz milk
To serve
Method
Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Tip it onto a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. When it's hot, fry the mince, in batches if needed, for 4–5 minutes, or until browned all over.
Stir in the cooked onion and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any caramelised bits with a wooden spoon, and add the thyme.
Add the stock and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the mince is tender and the mixture has thickened. Season to taste, and add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Keep warm over a very low heat.
Meanwhile, for the mash, put the potatoes in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until they are tender.
Drain and return the potatoes to the pan, then place over the heat for about 1 minute to drive off any excess moisture. Mash well, then add the butter and milk, beating to form a smooth mash. Season to taste.
Preheat the grill to high. Put the cottage pie filling in a baking dish and spoon the mash over the top. Grill for 8–10 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Meanwhile, boil the peas in boiling water in a small saucepan for 3–4 minutes, then drain and add the butter. Serve the cottage pie with the peas.
Recipe Tips
To stop the mash leaking into the cottage pie filling below (and if you have time), let the meat cool before adding the potato topping.
How to store cottage pie
This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge well wrapped in cling film or kitchen foil. To reheat in the oven, cover the top with kitchen foil (to prevent it drying out) and preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Cook for about 40 minutes for a whole pie (or about 15 minutes for smaller portions) or until it’s piping hot in the middle.
This cottage pie is also a great recipe for batch cooking. Freeze cottage pie on the day you make it and store for up to 3 months (either whole or in portions – or just make the meat filling in advance, which saves you keeping a big dish in your freezer). To reheat from frozen, sprinkle a little water on top, cover with kitchen foil and cook at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 for about 1 hour 15 minutes for a whole pie or 30 minutes for smaller portions, until piping hot in the middle.
How do you bulk out a cottage pie?
To cheaply bulk out a cottage pie, try adding baked beans to the filling as they do in this Eat Well for Less cottage pie recipe.
Why is my cottage pie dry?
If the meat filling is dry, it’s most likely because it has been cooked at too high a temperature. The filling should be simmered gently, as more aggressive cooking will cause too much liquid to evaporate. After simmering, the meat filling should be tender with a thick gravy-like sauce – if yours looks dry, stir in some water to thin it out.
Does cottage pie contain gravy?
Normally you sprinkle flour onto the browned meat before pouring in stock to make a quick gravy as part of the recipe, but if you have some leftover gravy available feel free to use that instead (the same applies for adding shredded leftover roast beef as a substitute for some of the mince).
Do you put egg in mash for cottage pie?
No, eggs are not a traditionally used in cottage pies. If you want to up your mash game, adding cheese is more common (as the Hairy Bikers do in their cottage pie with cheesy mash).
