Cottage pie AKA Hachis parmentier

Cottage pie is a dish that everyone knows and loves. This French version elevates the dish by braising beef in red wine before making your ragu.

Braised beef (6 portions)

1.5kg Beef cheek
375ml Red wine (full bodied)
300ml Beef stock
2 Carrots
2 Celery (stick)
1 Onion
½ Garlic (bulb)
30g Tomato paste
1 Bouquet garni
Salt + pepper

1. Start by colouring the beef cheeks, followed by the veg. Once the veg is coloured add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.

2. Slowly add the red wine to make a sauce, add some beef stock, check seasoning and add back all your coloured meat+veg.

3. Cook at 140C for approx. 2/3 hours or until the beef cheeks are very tender.

Hachis parmentier (6 portions)

Braised beef (from above)
2 Onions
4 Garlic (cloves)
130g Buerre manie (65g butter / 65g flour)
10g Parsley (chopped)
Salt + pepper

3 Potatoes
75g Butter
30ml Milk (whole)
Nutmeg (grated)
Grated Emmental cheese
Salt

1. Sweat the onions for 5-10 minutes and then add the chopped garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.

2. Add the shredded meat, red wine / stock, and thicken with the beurre manie.

3. Finish with the parsley and seasoning and place in a roasting dish.

4. Bake the potatoes at 180C for one hour. Scoop out the cooked flesh and put through a sieve or ricer. Add the butter + milk and mix well, check seasoning.

5. Put the potato on top of the beef mix and bake at 220C for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp.