A proppa winter warmer

I had my work Xmas party last night and unsurprisingly spent most of the day feeling pretty shit!  The one thing that kept me going was the thought of coming home, eating something hearty with a cheeky glass of red and watching last night's recorded episode of "the Apprentice".  But what to eat!?

Well, with 1/2 a kilo of mince in the freezer and some Ambo potatoes in the veg trolley there could only be one option. Cottage Pie!!!

I bloody love a good cottage pie, here's how I make mine.

Serves 2 very hungry people but can easily serve 4:

3 carrots
1 large onion
1 stick of celery (optional)
1/2 kilo of mince
A good handful of petit pois
4 potatoes (I used Ambo but any will do)
2 tbsp of Worcester Sauce
1 tsp of Tobasco
1 tsp of Tomato puree
1tsp of Grain Mustard
50g of butter
50g of cheddar (grated)

Start by putting a pan of water on the boil and add the peeled potatoes.

Grate 2 of the 3 carrots into a bowl, hold the other one back to chop thereby ensuring more texture.  Finely chop the onion and the celery and add to the carrot. Fry all of these in a little oil on a medium heat for 10 mins until they begin to take on a little colour.

Add the beef, season well and leave to brown for a few minutes before adding the Worcester Sauce, tomato puree, Tobasco and peas. Gently cook until the potatoes are tender.

Drain the spuds, add the butter and a dash of oil and get mashing! Add the cheese and mustard, season well and mix everything together until you have a nice, smooth consistency.

Spoon the beef into a an earthenware dish and carefully layer the mash on top using a fork to create lines that will add texture but also crisp up in the oven.

Sling the dish into a preheated oven for 20-25mins at 180 degrees and pour yourself another glass of wine! My choice tonight was a 2002 Gran Reserva Rioja.

Plate up and serve with a bowl of lightly dressed salad (oil, red wine vinegar and pinch of salt works just fine).  Happy days!!    

Phwoar!

            

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