The Best Cottage Pie Recipe

Succulent beef mince, flavourful vegetables, rich gravy, and creamy potato mash – this is what makes an amazing cottage pie. The below recipe from UK chef James Martin gets our vote for the best cottage pie recipe out there.

Ingredients

• 8 medium baking potatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for rubbing
• Rock salt
• 600g minced beef
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 9 carrots, unpeeled
• 100ml red wine 
• 500ml beef stock
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 50g caster sugar
• 125g unsalted butter
• 150ml milk

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Method

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
• Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, then lightly coat them with oil. Place them on a layer of rock salt in a baking tray and bake for 1–1½ hours until they are tender.
• Heat a large sauté pan until hot. Add vegetable oil and brown the beef. Add onions, garlic, thyme, and celery, and cook until softened. This can take a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 finely diced carrot.

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• Pour in red wine and cook until reduced by one-third, then add the beef stock and simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 30 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens.
• Transfer the beef to a bowl, season with the salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Refrigerate it while preparing the mash.
• While the beef cools, top and tail the remaining carrots. Fill a pan halfway with water and add the carrots. Add a pinch of salt, the sugar, and a knob of butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 30–40 minutes until soft. The liquid should evaporate, giving the carrots a glaze.

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• Once the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to touch, halve them, scoop out the flesh, and put it through a potato ricer into a bowl. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
• Mix most of the remaining butter into the mashed potatoes and warm the milk in a saucepan until simmering. Pour it over the potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread the cooled beef into a baking dish and top with the hot mashed potatoes, fluffing the top with a fork. Dot with some butter and bake for 10–15 minutes until golden-brown and piping hot throughout. Serve with the carrots.

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Meat-free Alternative Recipe

Of course, cottage pie can be enjoyed by vegetarians too, just take a look at Jamie Oliver’s recipe below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmAPHQ3oLts&ab_channel=JamieOliver

It’s packed full of veggies and puts a great twist on the British classic. Jamie throws in interesting veggies like swede and celeriac, and he even adds marmite or vegemite to the homemade gravy!

The Perfect Cooking Appliances

If you’re looking to upgrade your cooking appliances or you need to deck out your new kitchen, look no further than Montpellier.

We have a great selection of cooking appliances including single ovens, double ovens, cookers, range cookers, hobs, microwaves, warming drawers, and cooker hoods.

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Cookers, Ovens & Warming Drawers

Our cookers or ovens will be vital for making that perfect cottage pie, and they’re more than up to the task. With high-tech features and a stylish design, all at an affordable price. 

If you have a large family or you’re cooking for lots of guests, our warming drawers will come in very handy. If some dishes are cooked before others, you can simply pop them in the warming drawer while everything else cooks. 

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Hobs, Microwaves & Cooker Hoods

If it’s an oven and hob set up you’re after, then take a look at our hobs range. We have gas, gas on glass, induction, ceramic, and solid plate models to choose from. We even have plug-in models which are super easy to install.

Meanwhile, our microwaves are ideal for heating up those delicious leftovers, so you can enjoy the recipe you worked so hard on for a second time. We have both integrated and freestanding microwaves available.

Our cooker hoods are another cooking essential. They’ll take the steam, grease, and unwanted odours from the air while you cook. We have multiple types to suit your needs including chimney, canopy, curved, telescopic, downdraft, and more.

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