Cottage Pie

Filling

• beef mince700 g
• sunflower oil2 tbsp
• onions1
• carrots2
• chestnut mushrooms250 g
• garlic cloves3
• red wine150 ml
• beef stock500 ml
• yeast extract2 tsp
• thyme4 sprigs
• bay leaves2
• cornflour2 tsp
• salt
• black pepper
• water1 tbsp

Topping

• floury potatoes1.2 kg
• butter70 g
• double cream100 ml
• English mustard1 tsp
• mature cheddar80 g

Filling

1. 01

   Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over a high heat and cook the mince in two batches, pressing it flat and leaving it alone until the underside is deep brown, about 5 minutes each time. Tip each batch into a bowl.

2. 02

   Chop the onion and coarsely grate the carrots. Drop the heat, add them to the pan and cook for 8 minutes until softened.

3. 03

   Slice the mushrooms, add them and cook for 8 minutes more, until they have released their liquid and it has cooked away again, then crush the garlic and stir it in 1 minute before the end.

4. 04

   Pour in the red wine and scrape the brown crust off the base of the pan while it bubbles, until almost no liquid is left.

5. 05

   Return the beef with the stock, yeast extract, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the level has dropped by about a third.

6. 06

   Mix the cornflour with the cold water, stir it in and cook for 2 minutes more. The gravy should cling to the mince and close over slowly behind a spoon dragged across the pan. Fish out the bay leaves and thyme stalks and season with salt and black pepper.

Topping

7. 07

   Peel the potatoes and cut them into even chunks, then boil them in well salted water for 18 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain and leave them in the colander for 5 minutes to steam off, then rice or mash them smooth.

8. 08

   Beat in the butter, cream and mustard and season with salt and black pepper. Keep the mash stiff rather than loose, so it sits on the filling instead of sinking into it.

9. 09

   Heat the oven to 200°C. Tip the filling into a dish of about 30 by 20 cm, level it off and leave it for 10 minutes to stop steaming.

10. 10

    Drop the mash over in spoonfuls, join them up with the back of the spoon and press it against the rim of the dish all the way round so the gravy cannot climb the sides.

11. 11

    Grate the cheddar and scatter it over, run a fork across the surface and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese has browned and the gravy bubbles at the edges. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.