Beef cottage pie

by Ed Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 2 brown onions, finely sliced
  • 1 stick celery, finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch thyme, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1kg beef brisket, diced
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1L beef stock
  • ¼ cup plain flour
  • 75g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 125ml cream
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Sauté the onions, celery, garlic and thyme in half the olive oil for 10 minutes, then set aside. Fry the beef in the remaining oil for 10 minutes, until browned, then return the onion mixture.
2 Add the tomato paste and cook until the mixture stick to the bottom of the saucepan, then pour in the wine and stock and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
3 Combine the flour and butter, whisk in, and simmer until thickened, before seasoning with salt and pepper. Steam the potatoes until tender then crush and mix with the cream to form a coarse mash. Season with salt.
4 Spoon the beef mixture into individual casserole dishes and top with mash, nutmeg and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden, then serve.