Cooking Skill - How to Make a Cottage Pie

Leon - So here we are at the hob, we are doing Cottage pie today because that's beef isn't it?

Debbie - That's right yep.

Leon - So I am guessing we get the beef on the go before we do anything else.

Debbie - We do yep, so we'll fry that off.

Leon - So nothing in the pan, and I guess it's the fats from the beef.

Debbie - Yep.

Leon - How long do you generally fry the mince for?

Debbie - As long as it's brown all the way through it's cooked and then we'll add the vegetables, the onion and the carrot to it.

Leon - OK, so are we close now?

Debbie - Yep that's done, so we can add the onion and the carrot.

Leon - That gives it a nice colour.

Debbie - Yep.

Leon - And plenty of juice in there to cook the carrot and onion.

Debbie - Yep.

Leon - A nice healthy way of doing it, so we haven't used any oil at all?

Debbie - No oil at all.

Leon - Good, about ready, so what comes next?

Debbie - So a stock cube and a small amount of cornflour just to thicken and make a small amount of gravy.

Leon - Stir that in.

Debbie - A bit of water.

Leon - OK, and so are you just going by eye and feel?

Debbie - Yep.

Leon - And how much longer do you keep it on the heat for?

Debbie - Just until it has thickened up a bit, as it is all nearly cooked anyway.

Leon - And then what happens to it?

Debbie - We've got the potatoes boiling.

Leon - OK.

Debbie - So they should be ready to mash in a minute and they will then go on top of the mince.

Leon - Ok and we then transfer that out do we?

Debbie - Yep, into an ovenproof dish.

Leon - Great stuff. Ok so has that thickened up enough now?

Debbie - Yep that's ready to go into the ovenproof dish.

Leon - That looks delicious, obviously that's cooked already isn't it. That's done now, so what's next?

Debbie - Ready for the potato, so we will mash the potato and that will go on top and in to the oven,

Leon - Let's get mashing. So the potatoes are nice and soft.

Debbie - Yep, I have drained them off, got rid of the water.

Leon - And do you get mashing straight away?

Debbie - Yep but add in a small amount of milk, just a small amount and a small amount of margarine, ok and start mashing.

Leon - There you go.

Leon - OK, I am going to test this, have you finished mashing, yep, I am going to test for lumps, not bad, ready to go, yeah, lets put them together, that's delicious.

Debbie - So I'll spoon this all over.

Leon - So nice and evenly.

Debbie - Yep so it is all covered.

Leon - I'm getting hungry just looking at it now.

Debbie - This will then go in the oven to go brown and make it nice and crispy on top.

Leon - So how long would you leave it in the oven to brown for?

Debbie - Probably for about 20 minutes.

Leon - Looks good.

Debbie - Yep.

Leon - But I think there is only one way to judge it though, I'm ready!

Debbie - OK, there we go.

Leon - Fantastic, mmm.