Fiery cottage pie
Try Poppy O’Toole’s spiced twist on cottage pie, made with rose harissa and topped with chilli and herb mashed potato.
Ingredients
For the pie filling
- 100g/3½oz bacon lardons
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 400g/14oz beef mince
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 60g/2¼oz soft apricots, chopped
- 1 litre/1¾ pint beef or chicken stock
- 2 tsp rose harissa
- ½ tsp toasted coriander seeds
- ½ tsp toasted cumin seeds
- pinch dried red chilli flakes
- handful chopped fresh parsley and coriander
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mash
- 5 large Maris Piper or Russet potatoes, sliced into 2cm/¾in rounds
- 150ml/¼ pint double cream
- 100g/3½oz salted butter
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- small handful chopped fresh parsley and coriander
- squeeze lemon
For the sugar snap peas
Method
To make the pie filling, place a pan over a medium heat then fry off the bacon until golden in the oil.
Add in the onions and cook until caramelised, this takes 10 minutes.
Add the beef, then add all the other ingredients except the herbs. Leave to cook for 30 minutes or until reduced to a thick gravy consistency.
Taste and season to your liking with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir through the herbs then pour into an ovenproof dish.
Meanwhile, to make the mash put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Place over a high heat and, once they come to the boil, boil for 15–20 minutes until soft and falling off the end of a knife.
Drain the potatoes into a sieve, then place the sieve over the empty pan and put a tea towel over to allow them to steam dry.
After about 5 minutes, push the potatoes through the sieve with the back of a spatula for smooth delicious mash. Alternatively, you can use a ricer. You could also use a potato masher, but there may be a few lumps lingering!
Warm the cream in a saucepan over a low heat then add to the cooked potatoes along with the butter. Mix to form a delicious soft mash. Stir through the chopped chilli and herbs, then add the mash on top of your pie filling.
To cook, preheat the oven to 180ºC/200C Fan/Gas 4. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden.
Meanwhile, to make the sugar snap peas, bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the peas and boil for 40 seconds, then drain. Put them in a pan with the butter, garlic and herbs and cook for 1–2 minutes. Serve in a bowl with a topping of crumbled feta and sumac.
Once the cottage pie is done, sprinkle any spare chilli or herbs over the top and you’re ready to serve alongside the sugar snap peas!
