Cottage Pie with Porter Ale
There's nothing quite like a good old Great British dish, and cottage pie is perfect for this less than summery weather we've been having.
Cottage pie is also the ultimate comfort food. My addition of Porter ale adds richness and depth of flavour.
To serve four
A large pie dish
Olive oil
500g good quality, low fat minced beef
A large onion, peeled and finely chopped
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
A sprig of thyme
A 400g good quality tinned tomatoes including their juice
Two tablespoons of tomato purée
Two teaspoons of English mustard
300ml of Whitechapel Porter Ale
Two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
One chicken stock cube
Three large carrots chopped and cooked
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the Potato Topping:
One kilogram of floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and roughly cubed
70g butter
A handful of grated Cheddar, plus extra for the top of the pie
One egg yolk
What to do
Get yourself a large frying pan and add a thin layer of olive oil.
Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low to medium heat until nice and soft but not coloured.
Now turn the heat up and add the mince. Season with black pepper and fry while stirring, until nicely browned.
Throw in the sprig of thyme, the tomato puree and mustard, and cook while stirring for a minute.
Add the Porter Ale and Worcestershire sauce, bring to the boil, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Now add the tomatoes including their juice.
Crumble in the stock cube and stir until it has dissolved.
Turn the heat down and simmer for 20-25 minutes, by which time the mixture should be lovely and thick and glossy. You may need to add a little more liquid, and if so, add a little water.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning - you may need a little sea salt. Once done remove from the heat and discard the sprig of thyme.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F or Gas Mark four.
Meanwhile, add the potatoes to a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook until tender. Drain and return to the hot pan for 15 seconds or so, to dry out, then take off the heat.
Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer back into the pan, or mash smoothly. Mix through the butter, cheese and egg yolk. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Put the cooked carrots into the bottom of the dish and then put the mince mixture on top.
Spoon the mashed potato on top and rough up the surface with a fork. Grate over some extra cheese and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. If you happen to have any left over you can can of course freeze it.
