Luxury Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie is so very much a Nursery classic, always takes me back to my childhood, this is a grown up version. Lord Jeffrey Archer is still well known for his Dinner Parties of Cottage or Shepherds Pie with Krug Champagne, and of course he is absolutely right, Cottage Pie cooked well is amazing and up there with any other dish you could imagine.

As in everything you cook start with first class fresh ingredients, I used half a kilo of ground Rib of Beef, it is expensive but worth it and it does bring this dish to life.

Start in a large Pot with a good glug of Olive oil on a high heat and add a sliced Onion, stir and reduce heat slightly when it starts to soften and become sweeter.
Now add Two Carrots finely chopped in half centimetre cubes and a couple of sticks of celery again finely chopped, cook on a Medium heat for maybe 15 minutes
Now add chopped Mushrooms some in Quarters some sliced and some Porcini, a couple of sprigs of Thyme and cook through
Now add your ground Beef, make sure you brown the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon

When its Browned add a spoon of flour stir and cook it out, then add a large glass of Red wine and about the same of Beef Stock couple of Bay leaves swig of Worcestershire Sauce a squirt of Tomato Ketchup and season well with Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

Now with a slotted spoon, add the mixture to a Pie Dish, then on a high heat reduce the sauce to intensify the flavour and add to the mixture.

Top with Mashed Potato and put in the oven at 200c for around 30 minutes, Mind blowing winter warmer comfort food, It is so good do try it before Summer