Cottage Pie | My Table

1½ lb ground beef (or lamb)
1 onion · 2 carrots · 2 garlic cloves — diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste · 1 Tbsp Worcestershire · 1 Tbsp flour
1 cup beef stock · 1 tsp thyme · 1 cup peas
Mash top
2 lb potatoes · 4 Tbsp butter · ~½ cup milk · salt
1 egg yolk (optional, for browning) · a little cheese (optional)

What you need

1½ lb ground beef (or lamb)

1 onion · 2 carrots · 2 garlic cloves — diced

2 Tbsp tomato paste · 1 Tbsp Worcestershire · 1 Tbsp flour

1 cup beef stock · 1 tsp thyme · 1 cup peas

Mash top

2 lb potatoes · 4 Tbsp butter · ~½ cup milk · salt

1 egg yolk (optional, for browning) · a little cheese (optional)

Brown the beef hard. Oven to 400°F. Brown the beef in a wide pan without stirring much, so it sears instead of steams grey; season with salt and pepper.
Build a thick gravy. Add onion, carrot, garlic; soften. Stir in the tomato paste 1 min, then the flour 1 min, then the Worcestershire, stock, and thyme. Simmer to a thick, spoonable gravy — not soupy, or the potato sinks. Stir in the peas; season well.
Mash, stiff-ish. Boil the potatoes, mash with butter, milk, and salt to a firm, spreadable mash (too loose and it won't hold peaks). Beat in the egg yolk if using.
Top, rough it, bake. Spread the filling in a dish; spread the mash over, then drag a fork across it into peaks (the peaks brown and crisp). Dot with butter (or the cheese). Bake uncovered 25–30 min until golden and the edges bubble; broil to crisp the peaks.
Rest. 10 min so it holds its cut.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Brown the beef hard. Oven to 400°F. Brown the beef in a wide pan without stirring much, so it sears instead of steams grey; season with salt and pepper.

2. Build a thick gravy. Add onion, carrot, garlic; soften. Stir in the tomato paste 1 min, then the flour 1 min, then the Worcestershire, stock, and thyme. Simmer to a thick, spoonable gravy — not soupy, or the potato sinks. Stir in the peas; season well.

3. Mash, stiff-ish. Boil the potatoes, mash with butter, milk, and salt to a firm, spreadable mash (too loose and it won't hold peaks). Beat in the egg yolk if using.

4. Top, rough it, bake. Spread the filling in a dish; spread the mash over, then drag a fork across it into peaks (the peaks brown and crisp). Dot with butter (or the cheese). Bake uncovered 25–30 min until golden and the edges bubble; broil to crisp the peaks.

5. Rest. 10 min so it holds its cut.

No alcohol? swap the wine or beer for the same amount of stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon for the brightness. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.