Cottage Pie

[b-man]

Cottage Pie

Source: David Hunter from Brightlingsea, England. Here you go fredicus!


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 1/4 pounds (560g) ground beef
14 ounce (400g) can tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
10 fluid ounces (290ml) beef stock (can use stock cube)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

2 pounds (1Kg) potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 ounces (75g) butter
2 fluid ounces (55ml) milk


Preheat oven to 190 degrees C/375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes till soft.

Add the beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown. Add tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

For the topping, boil and mash the potatoes, add the milk and butter. Season.

Put the beef mixture in an oven proof dish, cover with the mashed potato, dot with additional butter and bake for about 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

B-man