Cottage pie!!!

 Recipe in Italian

Wow lot's of memories......I didn't have a cottage pie for ages! When I used to live in the Uk it was one of my favourite meals. One of my british comfort food, especially on my first job as cabin crew when I did manage to bring daily a nice meal to heat up in the aircraft oven.  Yummy!!!

I love cottage pie, Shepherd's pie but especially the fish pie.

For this cottage pie I didn't actually follow any particular recipe, I just cooked it my own may, following my memories and my Italian roots.

So easy to make and full of flavours, a balanced meal perfect in this cold winter days!




COTTAGE PIE

INGREDIENTS 

Serves 4

• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 1 small onion
• 430g lean beef mince
• 60g tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Thyme sprigs
• Homemade meat stock
• Salt to taste
• 450g potatoes
• 60ml milk
• 1 knob of butter
• 20/30g grated parmesan cheese

Peel, wash and dice the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the diced vegetable and cook on a gentle heat until soft, add a drop of water if necessary or more olive oil.  Add the mince meat and cook until browned. At this stage add the thyme sprigs, the bay leaf, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and meat stock ( I used homemade  lean chicken stock). Cook on a gentle heat approximately 30 to 40 minutes until the gravy is thick and coating the meat. Season to taste and discard the bay leaf and thyme. 

Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and peel the potatoes still hot. Mash the potatoes with the milk and butter. Season to taste. Distribute meat into an ovenproof dish. Spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese and some bread crumbs.  Bake the pie in the oven at 190ºC for 30 minutes or until golden brown.