|
||||||||
Cottage Pie |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Stuttgart, Germany/Caithness,
Posts: 459
|
Cottage Pie
I always thought it was something you could put together pretty quickly. I went looking for a recipe on-line and found this...
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/775643/cottage-pie Surely it's easier than this?! That'll take hours. I'm not a good enough cook to just "wing it" so I'm hoping someone has a tried and true recipe they wouldn't mind sharing? TIA. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Fort William
Posts: 22,296
|
Bollocks to that.
Cook some mince up (beef, lamb would make a shepherd's pie) with onions and a few bits and bobs as you want it. Cook some mash. Put mince in oven dish. Cover with mash. Make it look pretty by doing nice patterns with a fork Put it in a hot oven until the mash goes a bit brown and crispy Serve Eat |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
|
To make it even easier, cook up a large batch of the mince and freeze pie size portions for later use.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,111
|
Quote:
Bollocks to that.
Cook some mince up (beef, lamb would make a shepherd's pie) with onions and a few bits and bobs as you want it. Cook some mash. Put mince in oven dish. Cover with mash. Make it look pretty by doing nice patterns with a fork Put it in a hot oven until the mash goes a bit brown and crispy Serve Eat It does take a while to do all of the above. Shepherd's/cottage pie is not particularly quick to make, but it's always worth it in the end. |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Quote:
I always thought it was something you could put together pretty quickly. I went looking for a recipe on-line and found this...
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/775643/cottage-pie Surely it's easier than this?! That'll take hours. I'm not a good enough cook to just "wing it" so I'm hoping someone has a tried and true recipe they wouldn't mind sharing? TIA. You can make the base and cook it out for an hour or two, or six if in the slow cooker. And many will say that the long slow cook will make for a better base/ragu (same as bol & chilli). The other thought is to fry off the mince, add the onions and other veg until it is cooked (20 mins?) then add the mash and brown it. Could all be done in 30-40 minutes. Both may turn out very nice indeed. |
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
|
Quote:
You can go both ways with recipies like this.
You can make the base and cook it out for an hour or two, or six if in the slow cooker. And many will say that the long slow cook will make for a better base/ragu (same as bol & chilli). The other thought is to fry off the mince, add the onions and other veg until it is cooked (20 mins?) then add the mash and brown it. Could all be done in 30-40 minutes. Both may turn out very nice indeed. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,851
|
another tip.....
make a really big cottage pie and save half for the next day it's one of those dishes that tastes so much better when it's warmed up in the oven or microwave after maturing for a day |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,215
|
My Mum makes Mary Berrys cottage pie and it is incredible, some red wine goes in it too, doesn't seem too hard to make
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,943
|
If you want to make a really horrible cottage pie with rubbery mince and crunchy vegetables you can knock one up in no time at all.
If you want a delicious one, with tender meat, rich gravy and meltingly silky soft onions and carrots it will take about two hours altogether. Your choice really! |
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,227
|
Quote:
I always thought it was something you could put together pretty quickly. I went looking for a recipe on-line and found this...
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/775643/cottage-pie Surely it's easier than this?! That'll take hours. I'm not a good enough cook to just "wing it" so I'm hoping someone has a tried and true recipe they wouldn't mind sharing? TIA. http://www.oxo.co.uk/recipes/cottage-pie The recipe you quote is for 10 people and It's the recipe I use but scaled down but I'm happy to spend time cooking. I always like to simmer the meat sauce as long as possible to get a richer flavour. It's the same with chilli and curry as was mentioned earlier and they definitely improve over a few days. Rather than freeze what's left over, my married kids will nick it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Fylde Coast
Posts: 8,103
|
Probably the easiest way to make it is to get some pre-prepared mash from a supermarket and spread it on top of a can of Princes minced beef in a suitable dish. Then bung it in the oven for 20 minutes.
![]() Not as good as proper home-made of course but in my experience better than the ones you get ready made.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 24,698
|
Quote:
If you want to make a really horrible cottage pie with rubbery mince and crunchy vegetables you can knock one up in no time at all.
If you want a delicious one, with tender meat, rich gravy and meltingly silky soft onions and carrots it will take about two hours altogether. Your choice really! I cook any mince dish for at least two hours, sometimes longer. I cook cottage/ shepherd's pie and lasagne the day before I want to eat them as they set and they just taste so much better too. |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Fylde Coast
Posts: 8,103
|
Quote:
Yeah the quick mince just doesn't really do it for me personally.
I cook any mince dish for at least two hours, sometimes longer. I cook cottage/ shepherd's pie and lasagne the day before I want to eat them as they set and they just taste so much better too. I'm a two hour man myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,111
|
Quote:
I would agree with that and TBH unless you have gourmets coming to dinner the quick way is absolutely fine. I would add a little cheese on top of the mash is quite nice but not traditional.
I always add cheese to mine too. Makes it deliciously golden-brown on top. |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,943
|
If I wanted something quick I would cook something else. It's like saying ''I can't be doing with that slow-cooked shoulder of lamb! What a faff! I flash fry mine for three minutes a side and just chew on it extra hard!'
If I'm cooking something just for myself it's even more reason to make it extra special - but maybe that's just my conviction that I'm worth it! |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,738
|
Quote:
I would agree with that and TBH unless you have gourmets coming to dinner the quick way is absolutely fine. I would add a little cheese on top of the mash is quite nice but not traditional.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Fort William
Posts: 22,296
|
Quote:
Probably the easiest way to make it is to get some pre-prepared mash from a supermarket and spread it on top of a can of Princes minced beef in a suitable dish. Then bung it in the oven for 20 minutes.
![]() Not as good as proper home-made of course but in my experience better than the ones you get ready made. ![]() Quote:
I find this comment strange. I'm not a gourmet but the difference in the two methods is huge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,738
|
Quote:
I like the idea, but you can save even more time by buying one ready made.
They are indeed different, but some people prefer the quick method. To say that the slow cooked method is better denies individual choice. I find slow cooking often takes away the variety in textures that makes eating a pleasure (but I still use it a lot for stews and some cuts of meat) |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
|
Quote:
I find this comment strange. I'm not a gourmet but the difference in the two methods is huge.
Gourmets would say that is wrong I would predict but most of us who live in a world where recipes that take more than 20 minutes are only made on a weekend and have memories of the 50s 60s and 70s will say that is how it's made. Rubbery mince has been mentioned only time I ever had that problem was when I bought lean mince, buy it with a bit of fat and drain the fat off after cooking and it will have taste and not be rubbery. |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: woking
Posts: 21,684
|
Quote:
I'd be surprised if many people preferred a quick cooked cottage pie to a slow cooked one personally.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,738
|
Quote:
I do but I like stuff I have eaten for years and don't follow fashions and don't have two hours to cook mince on a Wednesday lunch time. I have eaten 2 hour cooked mince and didn't like it seemed to lose it's integrity and mush up too much for my taste buds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 15,471
|
ASDA sells frozen shepherd's pie mix in their freezers. Everything you need, meat and veg in one bag, mash in the other. Never used it, just happened to see it the other day !
I personally cook my mince beef for at least an hour, and if it goes into a cottage pie or lasagne it's then in the oven another 30-40 minutes. Recipes that state it's ready in 20 minutes annoy me, as it certainly isn't cooked well enough imo. |
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
|
The trick with any dish containing meat and onions is to fry the onions on a medium heat for at least 10 minutes till they are soft, before you add the meat. Bung in the finely diced carrots too and cook them till they're soft. Then add steak mince or any reduced fat mince and cook that till it's brown. Add your other flavourings (tomato paste, celery salt, salt, pepper Oxo cubes, herbs) with some water and that will cook till the potatoes are done and mashed.
This is Mrs Beetons Mash recipe: Boil potatoes till soft Drain nearly all of the water out but not completely dry. Season with salt, white pepper and a little grated nutmeg Add a good knob of butter and mash Add a little milk or cream and mash with a fork till creamy. Now, Butter or grease a pie dish. Use a perforated spoon to lift out the meat and veg from the pan. Put in pie dish and cover with mashed potato. Score the top of the potato and dot with bits of butter or lard, or brush with oil. This will make the top of the pie crusty. I usually just brown it under the grill because it is all still hot. But you can bake it in the oven but it will take longer to brown. |
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Stuttgart, Germany/Caithness,
Posts: 459
|
Well, thanks for all the advice. I will make the recipe from the one I found on the BBC site. I honestly thought it was a much quicker dish. I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one as I loathe minced beef and never eat it myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
|
Quote:
Well, thanks for all the advice. I will make the recipe from the one I found on the BBC site. I honestly thought it was a much quicker dish. I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one as I loathe minced beef and never eat it myself.
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 17:47.



