Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie is a minced meat pie topped with a whipped potato crust.  There are various ways of preparing the filling and this time, I added a can of baked beans.  I must say that the baked beans gave a delicious flavour to the pie!

Ingredients (serves 4 - 6 persons):
10 medium-size potatoes or 5 large potatoes
salt and ground pepper to taste
4 tbsp butter or margarine
6 tbsp fresh cream

3 tbsp cooking oil
500 g minced beef
2 big onions, to be peeled and finely diced
2 medium-size carrots, to be peeled and finely diced
2 large tomatoes, to be chopped
6 mushrooms, to be cleaned and sliced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 beef stock cube, to be dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can (415 g) baked beans
1 - 2 tbsp cornflour, to be mixed with 3 - 4 tbsp water
1 cup (250 ml capacity) grated cheese (one may use Edamer alone or Cheddar mixed with Parmesan)
butter

Method:
In a pot, add potatoes, 1 tsp of salt and enough water to cover potatoes.  Bring to boil.  Once boiling, cover pot and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Once done, drain and leave them aside to cool down.  Peel and mash the potatoes in a large bowl.  Add butter, cream and season with salt and pepper.  Whip mixture well until a light mash is achieved.  Leave aside.

In a large pan, heat 3 tbsp oil and fry the onions until they turn translucent.  Add minced beef and stir-fry until they change colour.  Add diced carrots, tomatoes, mushroom, parsley and stir well. Then, add beef stock and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir again before adding the baked beans.  Let mixture cook for about 5 minutes before adding the cornstarch mixture.  Cook until sauce has thickened.  Once done, remove from heat and transfer to an ovenproof dish.  Allow meat mixture to cool down before adding the mashed potato or else the potato layer will sink in the filling.

Spread mashed potato evenly over meat mixture.  Rake top with a fork to form ridges.  Then, sprinkle cheese over top and dot with butter.  Bake in a preheated oven (conventional - no fan) at 200° C for about 40 minutes or until the top is brown and crispy.  Once ready, serve with any kind of salad.

Another variation (without baked beans):  add 1 tbsp tomato ketchup or paste, 1 cup beef stock (use 1 beef stock cube instead of 1/2) and 250 g frozen peas.  The rest of the ingredients remain the same.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:
3 tbsp sunflower or corn oil
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients together.  One can serve any salad with this dressing.

Bon Appetit!