Cottage Pie
Time: 20 minutes preparation, 15 minutes to cook.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- beef stock cube
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 250g lean minced beef
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot finely chopped
- 1 level teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 level tablespoon flour
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the topping:
- 200g potatoes
- a knob of butter
- 40g cheese
- 1/2 level teaspoon mixed herbs
- salt
Method
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan then add the onion and carrot and cook them together for about 8 minutes until they have softened and browned slightly at the edges.
- Using a draining spoon, remove them to a plate. Turn the heat up and brown the meat in the pan.
- Drain off the fat that has come out of it, then sprinkle in the mixed herbs and a seasoning of salt and pepper and return the carrot and onion to the pan.
- Add 125 ml water and the stock cube.
- Turn the heat down to the gentlest possible simmer, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into chunks and boil them in salted water until tender, then drain them and return them to the pan.
- Add butter, them mash them to a smooth puree.
- Preheat the grill.
- Put meat into a small pie dish. Then spoon the mashed potato mixture all over the top, levelling it off with a fork.
- Now combine the grated cheese with the herbs, and sprinkle this mixture all over the surface of the potato.
- Place the dish under the grill till the cheese is brown and bubbling.