Preparing British classic: Cottage Pie, also known as shepherd's pie

Cottage Pie - a dish with ancient roots in British cuisine. Historical records about it appear in the 18th century. It was at that time that potatoes became accessible to the poorer classes of Britain. Therefore, the basic recipe for cottage pie is any meat left over from preparing main dishes, mixed with vegetables and covered with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. This combination was then baked in the oven until a crispy crust formed.The concept of the dish was to effectively use leftovers from all products that remained, for example, after dinner (hello to the kitchens of Egyptian three-star hotels with a buffet). This allowed for the rational use of absolutely all products and dishes, preventing their waste and spoilage. At the same time, such a tactic was economically beneficial, as the financial resources of the population were significantly limited. The pie is named after "cottages" — rural huts where peasants lived. Cottage pie is often confused with another popular British dish — Shepherd’s Pie. Although these two dishes look similar, there are several key differences between them. Cottage pie is made with pork or beef, as these are more accessible and simply cheaper types of meat. In contrast, Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. Lamb was the primary source of meat for shepherds (hence the name "Shepherd"). Additionally, green peas and sometimes pumpkin are added to its meat filling.

For the mashed potatoes:

From personal experience, we recommend first peeling the potatoes, cutting them into slices, and putting them to boil in salted water. During this time, you can prepare the ingredients for the meat filling and actually cook it.

The potatoes are on the fire, so now is the time to clean and cut the vegetables. We cut them into small cubes (something between brunoise and mirepoix).

Heat the pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil for frying, add the minced meat and fry until lightly browned.

Add the carrot and celery root to the meat, fry for 7 minutes.

Add the chopped onion and garlic, fry for another 7 minutes.

Add Worcestershire sauce, mix thoroughly, fry for 5 minutes.

Add the wine and let it evaporate.

Add salt, mix thoroughly. Add dried thyme, pepper.

To the tomato juice, add flour and mix thoroughly.

Pour the finished mixture into the pan, mix thoroughly. Simmer for another 5 minutes, after which we can place the meat filling into forms and start preparing the puree.

From the specified amount of ingredients for the meat filling, we managed to fill 2 forms, as we slightly overestimated the size of the one we planned to cook in. As a result, we ended up with not one, but two pies.

Drain the water from the potatoes, mash thoroughly, add room temperature milk.

Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, add half to the puree. Also add a pinch of nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Spread the puree over the meat filling, starting from the edges. Move around the perimeter of the form, and only then move to the center.

When the meat filling is completely covered with puree, sprinkle the formed pie with the remaining grated cheese.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, turn on the convection mode.

Bake for 40 minutes. The indicator of the pie's readiness is that the cheese will turn into a crust and acquire a golden-brown color. Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and enjoy the aromatic dish with rich flavors.

Cook for your enjoyment! ;)