Cottage Pie straight from the Veggie Patch
/I've found the perfect Winter warmer recipe and it's Cottage Pie made from fresh potatoes, carrots and thyme straight from our veggie patch at Dido's Place. I'll let you all in on a little secret on where to get the best local produce and it's at Sciberras Fresh Fruit & Vegetables -Freemans Reach and Munro’s Quality Meats Wilberforce, both just a stones throw away for those extra ingredients during your stay.
What is great about this particular dish is that you can taste the fresh vegetables, it's light and not rich, so it's perfect for the whole family. Forget ingredients like bay leaves, red wine and stock cubes. This recipe's flavours come directly from the meat and vegetables themselves. You could cook this in the oven or slow cooker or a combination of the two as I did.
Ingredients
1Kg Beef Mince
2 Tblspn Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Onions, medium, diced
2 x 400g Diced Tinned Tomatoes
2 Celery Sticks, large, diced
3 Carrots, large, diced
4 Tblspn Tomato Paste
3 Tblspn Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tblspn Light Soy Sauce
3 Tblspn Gravy Powder
2 Tspn Fresh Thyme
2 Tblspn Italian Herbs, dry
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
100ml Thickened Cream
5 Potatoes, large
Grated Parmesan
Salt & Pepper
Method
In a large frypan on medium heat, heat the olive oil and add in the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until soft. Remove and place in the slow cooker. Next, brown the mince in the same pan. Remove, drain liquid and add the mince to the slow cooker.
Now on top, add in the diced tin tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, light soy sauce, gravy powder, just 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, Italian herbs and garlic. Give it a stir and pop the slow cooker on for around 3 hours on high.
In the last hour, prepare the mashed topping by boiling up the potatoes until soft. Remove from heat, drain and mash. Next add the cream and combine. Lightly salt and pepper. Mix.
Once the mince mixture is ready, taste for salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an oven proof pot and top with mashed potato. Sprinkle the remaining fresh thyme and parmesan on top. Place in the oven at around 190 degrees Celsius until golden.
Enjoy this comforting dish with an Original Ale from Gypsy-Fox Brewing Co., such a beautiful pairing and you’ll be supporting a local small business.
Cottage Pie
