Cottage Pie (or Shepherd’s Pie)

Cottage pie (with beef) or shepherd’s pie (with lamb) are very simple dishes which are ideal for a mid-week supper. They can even be prepared a few days in advance so reducing the need to cook when you get home, and yet still have a hot, home-made meal!

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes, peeled and diced
500 g minced beef (for cottage pie) or lamb (for shepherd’s pie)
1 onion, chopped
70 g (about 5 tbsp) tomato paste
1 tbsp flour
½ tsp cumin powder
1 stock cube

A large knob of margarine or butter for the mashed potato
50 ml of milk or thereabouts

2 tbsp vegetable oil
Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper
Tarragon

Method

1	Heat the oil in a pan and brown the onions.
2	Add the minced meat to the pan and fry until brown.
3	Add in the tomato puree and a few dollops of Worcestershire sauce. Mix the flour and cumin in a small amount of water and add to the pan and mix well.
4	Add 250 ml water and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes..
5	Boil the potatoes in water until tender. Drain, season with salt and pepper, then mash with the knob of margarine and the milk. Add the secret ingredient – a big pinch of tarragon. Shhhhh!
6	Cover the base of a large casserole dish with a layer of mashed potato. Pour on the meat mixture, then add a final layer of mashed potato.
7	Bake in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.