tips?
recipe I was going to use

a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce when your cooking the filling and cheese on the top of the mash!!!!

you mean this………
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/comfortingcottagepie_14505

looks good
well personally i like a bit of sweet potato in the mash leave some of teh skins on too and grate some cheese on top for extra crispy goodnes

and lots of pepper is always good

Dash of Worcester sauce, a few chili flakes, I usually add some peas

This might help

DO NOT PUT CHEESE ON TOP OF A COTTAGE PIE EVER!!! 👿

Bloody heathens

To add to the recipe on that link, couple of drops of worcester sauce for sure, I always add a little bit of chilli powder just to add a slight kick (not much mind).

Maybe some more herbs and spices, I like my cottage pie to be quite a mix of flavours, not just one or two.

LOTS of ground black pepper in the mash

LOTS of butter on the mash when you put in the oven to brown off

thanks kimbers I did indeed mean that

“Knob of beef dripping (optional)” iDave? whatever does that mean? I’d have to say in my current mind set it sounds just a little too ‘sexy’ for my sort of cooking.

what does what mean?

make your “base” using very fine sliced onion, carrot and celery

fry this slowly for 15 mins or so, before you add the mince

i add worcester sauce, mushroom ketchup and redcurrant jelly to add richness

no cheese on top please

knob of beef dripping?

knob is measurement I assume?

DO NOT PUT CHEESE ON TOP OF A COTTAGE PIE EVER!!!

Good god! It’s not worth anythinmg without cheese on top.

In fact, when I make it I put a layer of mash, then cheese, then another layer of mash then cheese on top 🙂

Pepper in mash – no. Chives in mash – yes.

Pepper in the meat too – and extra stock. And use quality mince so it stays in chunks, but I know Mrs Grips will do that 🙂

Yes a knob of butter or similar is basically a generous knife-full. Like you’d spread on your bread if you were being really decadent.

right

So on one half of the pie there’s cheese and on the other there’s not 😉

just like on (blech!) scones, the jam goes on first on half and cream goes first on the other half

gotcha

I didn’t mention beef dripping, though if you ask nicely 😯

Grate some nutmeg into the mash.I also add carrots and peas to the base.
Mature cheddar grated and grilled for last few minutes,perfect.

iDave it was in the article recipe you linked 😉

Ahh, OK. I do use a few knobs of butter on the mash before it goes in the oven. It’s not a hard thing to make, I’m sure it will be a success, and Mr MrsGrips will think it’s very nice.

Hahaha He’s not home and if it’s good he’ll not get any 😉

Too late I know, but next time add a blob of marmite in to the meat as well.

In fact, when I make it I put a layer of mash, then cheese, then another layer of mash then cheese on top

😯 Willing to try intervals with everything but exercise 😆

And what about a splash of red wine in there too? Works for me!

And what about a splash of red wine in there too? Works for me!

i thought that was a given 😀

marmite AND red wine? frankly flashette, i’m disappointed…..

so whats the difference between cottage pie and shepherds pie? is it just your choice of mince?

Oh and sweet potatoe with chopped coriander (coz I don’t have chives handy) for the topping, bit of tomato puree, wine, and chilli powder in the mince.

marmite?! I draw the line after 1 disgusting thing:

onions
_______________________

Marmite

😉

so whats the difference between cottage pie and shepherds pie?

Beef mince vs Lamb mince.

If you’re a cottage pie virgin then don’t over complicate it with chilli, sweet potato, cheese, saki, special knob of this or wanger of that etc…
Use decent beef mince (don’t go for the most expensive leanest cut – fat adds to the flavour) and follow the recipe!
Leave Worcs Sauce on the table for people to add if they wish.
Drink the wine (or save it for SpagBol).

I can report (by the way) that it tastes very yummy.
However there seems to be lots of fluid in it when it did not have hardly any when I put it all together. My lasagne is like this too. Go figure.

Next time if you add a bit of flour (say 1-2 tbs) over the meat mix it should help turn all that fluid into gravy.

Edit: Must not skim read threads!

Port is good, deeper taste than red wine.
For budget lasty long time version, four sausages and a tin of beans makes it a big meal.

What about venison for the meat?

If its turned out a bit watery and your lasange does too then I suggest you try browning the meat off for longer, and fry any veg you add to the sauce / mince for longer too. If you really brown the meat well, until its starting to catch on the bottom of the pan, it helps the flavour to develop and frying it all for longer should drive off more of the water. Cheers 🙂

Wholegrain mustard in the mash; a couple of teaspoons full is both asthetically pleasing and tasty.

D

Cool, thanks for the tips! 🙂

Maybe the extra liquid is not from the mince. (its not value mince?)

Mash from over boiled potatoes will give off lots of liquid and the wet lasagna could be explained by the sauce (maybe not enough puree?).

I’ll probably get shot and cast out from here, but my Cottage pie always gets a quantity of baked beans (1/4 – 1/3 large tin) and also sometimes some gravy granules chucked in there too.

good god. im glad some of you lot dont work for me.

chilli flakes? marmite? peas?wholegrain mustard. In a cottage pie. tut tut tut. you lot have been watching to much telly.

cottage pie, shepherds pie, beef and lamb, urban myth, both separated by nearly 100 years.

Originally it was a peasant dish, to use up left over roast meat,(Any meat). to stop it from burning when reheated the dish was lined with mashed potato,and then topped with a mashed potato crust.

MR Antoine-Augustin Parmentier is probably one of the people responsible for this dish, as he spent a lot of his time promoting potatoes as an edible food sauce to the poor,( this is where the assumption of the name cottage pie came from, as these people were mainly urban farmers/cottage owners.

Hachis Parmentier as it is known in our restaurant,(named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier) does not contain any of the above whacky ingredients. i think those are personal touches which will only complicate a dish your not familiar with.

May i suggest you start with

good beef dripping.(high heat will not burn and gives a clean taste)

beef (again best you can afford.)

onion (french)

Carrot

Celery

Red wine.

good beef stock

And maybe a little tomato puree ( optional )

flour.

Butter.

Fry mince in hot oil until brown.

tip meat into sieve and catch oil underneath in a clean pan.

put this oil back into the pan the meat came from minus the meat.

put pan back on heat, when hot, fry onion, carrot,celery until brown.

Put the mince back in its original pan with the veg you have just cooked bring back up to heat.

Now tip your red wine into this hot pan,and decant all the sediment off the bottom.

When the wine has almost vanished, add your warmed beef stock, and put on a gentle simmer for as long as you’ve got.

Mix the butter and the flour together in equal quantities.(cold do not melt the butter)

When the mince is cooked and your happy with the amount of liquid you have, adjust the seasoning.

Gradually add the butter and flour mix untill it starts to thicken and develop a nice shine.

Place this mix in the dish you intend to put in the oven, and chill.( the dish not you)

Whilst mix is chilling

Peel, wash and cook some spuds in salted water. ( start spuds off in cold water)

When cooked, drain and return pan off spuds back to heat, give them a good shake, and evaporate the remaining water on a low heat.

Mash add s+p butter and a little full fat milk.

Whip your meat out and top with the mash.

Place in a hot oven 200 deg for 15mins.

After 15 mins turn oven down to 165 180 and cook for 30 mins.

At this point remove from oven and cheese.

Put back in oven until nice and golden ( or to save time place under a hot grill)

I charge £11 a portion for this dish served with seasonal veg, and today we sold 23 portions out of 90 diners.

Thats a lot of money on cottage pie.

sometimes the best things in life are simple, When done right.

en-joi

MB

My Grans Version

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil

1 large onion chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

560g/1¼ lb beef mince

400g/14oz can tomatoes

290ml/10fl oz beef stock

1 bay leaf

fresh thyme leaves from 1 sprig

2 tbsp tomato purée

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping
750g/1½ lb potatoes, peeled and chopped

225g/8oz parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 tsp creamed horseradish

75g/2½oz butter

55ml/2fl oz milk

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.Make sure that your oil is not cold but slightly warm as well but not boiling hot. Pour the oil on your hands and rub them together, then begin massaging your partner from either the head down or the feet up. Never let your hands leave the skin of your lover, keep them moving all the time and don’t be afraid to move your hands near the private parts of your lover. But don’t touch them. Just dwell near the erogenous zones. You can knead your lovers buttocks or the area just above the buttocks and massage both the inner thighs and outer thighs and move your hands in a sweeping motion from the chest down or calf up in order to draw the energy towards the intimate zones. This can bring waves of pleasure even though you are not directly stimulating your partner.
Add the minced beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown.
Add the tomatoes, purée, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.
Meanwhile, to make the topping, boil the potatoes and parsnips in water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy

KT1973’s recipe isn’t topped with cheese but the mashed ‘tatoes are lovely and creamy…