Cooking&Baking Challenge - Session 3 - Isabel

A Cottage Pie  

  

i. Ingredients:

-          300 g. minced meat (I used beef only).

-          2 garlic cloves, minced.

-          1 medium onion, grated.

-          3 medium carrots, grated.

-          1 glass red wine.

-          3 “generous” tablespoons of home-made tomato sauce.

-          About 1 (maybe 2) handful of peas.

-          About 2 l water.

-          500 g potatoes.

-          About 1 tbs butter.

-          50-75 g Emmental cheese.

-          Extra virgin olive oil.

-          Salt.

-          Pepper.

-          Oregano.

* NOTE: If you are terribly in a hurry, you may replace the water, potatoes and butter with boxed mashed potatoes.

                    ii. How it’s made.

a.       Mashed potatoes:

1.       Boil the potatoes with a tablespoon of salt until tender.

2.       Peel and mash them.

3.       Add the butter and Emmental cheese. Mix well.

4.       Set aside.

b.      Meat:

1.       In a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil, sauté the garlic cloves and onion until brown. I usually add a bit of salt for them to cook better.

2.       Add the carrots and let them become tender.

3.       After that, incorporate the minced beef and let it cook a little bit. Season with salt and pepper.

4.       Pour the red wine and let it simmer so that all alcohol is evaporated.

5.       Slip in the home-made tomato sauce (I always have some in the fridge; it’s usually tomato, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and sugar; sometimes I might throw in bell pepper, usually red).

6.       Pop in the peas (the quantity depends on how much you like them), and let everything reduce until it’s thick and creamy.

c.       The dish:

1.       Get the meat mix in an oven-proof dish.

2.       Place the mashed potatoes on top of it. If you really like cheese, you may add a bit, but it’s not necessary, considering the potatoes have some now.

3.       Put it in the (preheated) oven (200ºC) until the pie is golden.