Mary Berrys Cottage Pie Food

MARY BERRY'S COTTAGE PIE WITH THYME AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. You will need a shallow 2 litre ovenproof dish.
• Heat a large flameproof casserole over a high heat and brown the minced beef all over. Make sure you break up the mince into small pieces as it browns. Add the onions and continue to fry for a few minutes.
• Sprinkle over the flour, stir and blend in the port and beef stock, and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the Worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms, cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until tender.
• Remove from the oven and check the seasoning. Spoon into the ovenproof dish and leave to cool. Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with water and boil until completely tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Push to one side and add the butter and milk. Heat and then mash with a potato masher until smooth. Spread the mashed potato over the mince so it is completely covered and then drag a fork along the top.
• Cook in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes until lightly golden and bubbling around the sides.

MARY BERRY'S COTTAGE PIE WITH DAUPHINOISE POTATO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a hot frying pan and add the beef. Stir over a high heat until golden-brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mince from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and celery to the pan and fry until beginning to soften. Return the beef to the pan.
• Whisk the flour and wine together in a bowl to make a smooth paste, whisk in the stock and then add it to the pan with the Worcestershire sauce, sugar and thyme. Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened, then add the mushrooms and gravy browning if liked. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the mince is tender. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Cook the potato slices in boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes - the potatoes need to be soft. Drain carefully into a colander and leave to cool a little. If the potatoes are too hard they will be waxy and the cream will run off them.
• Tip the cooked meat into a 2.4 litre/4 pint ovenproof shallow dish. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (200C fan).
• Arrange a layer of the blanched potato on top of the mince and pour over half of the cream. Arrange the remaining potato on top, seasoning between the layers. Pour over the remaining cream and sprinkle over the cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.

COTTAGE PIE WITH CHEESY TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrot and celery. Cook for a few minutes, then crumble in the beef. Cook, stirring frequently until the beef has browned.
• Sprinkle the flour over top and cook, stirring for about a minute, then add the stock, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce. Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally.
• While the filling is cooking, prepare the potato topping. Put the potatoes into a saucepan of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil. Cook at a quick simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Shake the pan over the residual heat of the burner for a few minutes to dry the potatoes out.
• Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk until soft and lump free. Stir in the cheese until it melts. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. (Remember cheese is quite salty.)
• Spoon the meat filling into a deep dish or into 6 smaller deepish dishes. Spread the cheesy potato mash over top to cover, roughing it up a bit.
• Bake in a 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6 oven for 20 to 25 minutes for small pies, or 35 to 40 minutes for a larger pie. When done the meat filling will be bubbling and the potato topping will be golden brown.
• Serve hot with a vegetable or salad on the side.

MARY BERRY'S COTTAGE PIE WITH DAUPHINOISE POTATOES

Steps:

• Fry the beef in the frying pan until golden brown and set it aside. It helps if you do it in smaller batches in a large, fairly hot pan.
• Use the same pan for frying the onion and celery. Fry until the vegetable starts to soften and return the meat to the pan.
• Whisk the wine and flour in a bowl to create a smooth mix, then whisk in the stock and add the liquid to the pan together with Worcestershire sauce, sugar and thyme.
• Bring to simmer and stir regularly while the sauce is thickening.
• Add mushrooms and gravy browning (optional); season with salt and pepper.
• Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes. Add more liquid if needed and occasionally stir as the flour tends to stick to the bottom.
• Bring water to a rapid boil. Carefully insert potato slices into the water, give them a stir or two, and cook for 5-7 minutes with the lid on. Carefully drain the potatoes and let them cool down a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/Gas 7.
• Cover the bottom of the roasting dish evenly with the cooked meat filling. Arrange half of the potatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper and pour over half of the cream. Place the other half of the potatoes on top of the first layer. Season again, pour over the rest of the cream and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
• Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

MARY BERRY'S FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 200C/400°F Grease a shallow 2.5 litre with butter.
• Melt the butter in a pan on a high heat and fry onion for few minutes.
• Lower the heat, cover and leave to soften for 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and increase the heat to remove any moisture. Sprinkle in the flour and then add the milk gradually, stirring well and allowing the sauce to thicken until all the milk has been added.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add lemon juice and the raw fish and cook for couple of minutes, stirring continuously until the fish has just cooked. Stir in the smoked haddock. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and leave to cool. Top with the hard-boiled eggs.
• For the topping, boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender. Drain, tip the potatoes back into the pan, add milk and butter and mash until lump-free. Use a ricer to get smooth mash. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Spread the mash over the top of the sauce and fish in the dish and score with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is crisp and golden-brown.