Name: Cottage pie bake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1kg beef shin or feather blade, cut into very large chunks; 2-4 tbsp sunflower oil; 200g bacon lardon; 3 tbsp plain flour; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 200g shallot peeled; 2 beef stock cubes; 3 each thyme sprigs and bay leaves; 300g baby carrots or baby Chantenay carrot; 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 ½kg potato peeled and cut into large chunks; 25g butter; 85g mature cheddar grated; 100ml milk; 2 tsp English mustard powder

1kg beef
shin or feather blade, cut into very large chunks
2-4 tbsp sunflower oil
200g bacon lardon
3 tbsp plain flour
2 celery
sticks, chopped
200g shallot
peeled
2 beef stock cubes
3 each thyme sprigs and bay leaves
300g baby carrots or baby Chantenay carrot
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

For the mash

1 ½kg potato
peeled and cut into large chunks
25g butter
85g mature cheddar
grated
100ml milk
2 tsp English mustard
powder

Method

step 1
Brown beef in the oil, in batches, in a large casserole or pan. Tip in the lardons, shallots and celery, and fry for 10 mins until softened and golden. Stir in the flour until absorbed, crumble in the stock cubes, then gradually stir in 1 litre water and the Worcestershire sauce. Add herbs, return the beef and any juices, cover and simmer for 1 hr. Add carrots, cover and simmer for 1 hr more until really tender.
step 2
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well, return to pan over a gentle heat and allow to steam-dry for 2 mins. Mash with the butter, cheese, milk, mustard powder and seasoning.
step 3
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Strain beef and veg into a large colander over a deep pan. Set sauce over a high heat for 5 mins to reduce. Shred beef into chunky pieces and transfer to a baking dish with veg and bacon, and some thickened sauce. Pipe or spoon on mash. Bake for 30 mins until mash is golden and crisp. The pie can be assembled and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, defrost thoroughly, then bake as above, but for 50 mins-1 hr.