Rat Pack Cottage Pie

Tender ground beef bound in a rich, reduced gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes that brown in the oven. The crust forms crispy peaks while the center remains steaming and savory.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 747
• Protein: 46 g
• Carbs: 48 g
• Fat: 35 g

Ingredients

• 600 g Ground beef 15% fat ( fresh )
• 2 piece Onion ( finely chopped )
• 2 piece Carrot ( finely diced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 tbsp Wheat flour
• 1 tbsp Tomato caviar
• 100 ml Red wine
• 800 g Potato ( peeled )
• 50 g Minimum butter sweet
• 150 ml Whole milk
• 2 piece Thyme ( sprigs picked )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 250 ml Beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Brown the meat

   In a hot pan with a drizzle of oil, brown the ground beef. The meat should be well-seared to develop the cooking juices.

2. Sauté the aromatics

   Add the finely diced onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions become translucent. Add the minced garlic and thyme at the end of browning.

3. Flour and deglaze

   Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, then deglaze with red wine. Let it reduce by half before adding the beef broth. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

4. Prepare the mash

   Cook the potatoes in salted water. Pass them through a potato ricer, then mix in the butter and loosen with whole milk until a smooth and supple texture is achieved.

5. Bake in the oven

   Spread the meat in a baking dish. Cover with the mashed potatoes and score the surface with a fork to create ridges. Bake at 200°C until the crust is golden brown.

Chef's tips

• Don't overwork the mash to prevent it from becoming gluey.
• The secret is in the browning of the beef: the more it sears, the darker and more powerful the gravy will be.
• Give it a quick broil at the end to enhance the crispiness of the potato ridges.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 150°C to preserve the texture of the mash.