Today I’m celebrating my part-Irish heritage by sharing my family’s recipe for Irish Cottage Pie.
It’s March and for weeks now there’s been a battle of the wills between winter and spring. A few days ago we were graced with warm slow winds, the kind that billows the curtains just enough to carry the scent of the new grass. That evening, the icy and cutting breath of winter returned and dumped 4 inches of snow. The expected forecast for this week is another foot of snow or more…
For me that means comfort food.
Irish cottage pie is a meat and potatoes pie, and not to be mistaken for Shepherd’s Pie, either. There’s a slight difference – Irish cottage pie is made with ground beef while Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. Though both are topped with a thick, buttery layer of mashed potatoes. With Saint Patrick’s Day this week, I can’t think of an easier Irish recipe to share.
Both Irish Cottage and Shepherd’s pie have their origins steeped in humble beginnings. They were deemed peasant’s food because they consisted of only meat and bits of various vegetables, likely whatever was on hand. Potatoes, a starchy belly-filler that grew in abundance completed the meals. So, in keeping with tradition, use whatever vegetables you have. I’ve made this before with collard greens, and added green beans, leeks, etc. It’s a very simple meal with lots of flexibility.
You’ll want to saute the vegetables until they are only slightly tender as they will finish cooking in the oven. This is important because if you cook them through on the stovetop, they will overcook and become quite mushy when baked.
I use beef broth and red wine to make a savory gravy. Not too much though, you don’t want it soupy, just enough gravy so that the ground beef is silky and fragrant and there’s a little essence to pair with your potatoes.
PRO TIP: if the gravy appears a little too loose when it’s simmering, let it simmer a little longer until it reduces by half before baking. Lastly, layer the top with thick, buttery mashed potatoes.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (I used peeled & chopped carrots, peas and corn)
- 1 tbsp corn starch, more as needed
For the potatoes (or substitute with your own)
- 7 Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned, peeled and quartered
- 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped (use the bulb and green stem)
- 1/2 cup salted butter or 8 tbsp (1 stick)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First start the potatoes by adding them to generously salted cold water. Bring to a boil until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes.*
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F. (177 C.).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, lightly salt and saute until mostly translucent and tender, 5 minutes. Add the beef, breaking the meat up into small pieces using a fork. Cook until semi-through, 5-7 minutes, or until it is mostly no longer pink.
- Add the garlic, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.
- Turn off the heat and add the red wine, stirring to deglaze the pan. Return to medium heat and add Add beef broth and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer.
- Add the vegetables. Slowly incorporate the cornstarch, while simultaneously stirring to mix well. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken to desired consistency, which should be a thickened essence, not soupy. Turn off the heat and set aside. If it's too loose, simmer a little longer, adding more cornstarch only if necessary.
To prepare the potatoes:
- In the meantime, as the potatoes have just about boiled until tender; cover chopped scallions in a saucepan with cold milk and bring slowly to a boil, simmering for 3-4 minutes. Leave in the milk to infuse a few minutes longer.
- Drain the potatoes, add the scallions and milk to the potatoes. Begin to mash using a potato masher. Add a stick of melted butter, a little at a time and continue to mash. Fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
To Assemble:
- Spread the beef mixture out evenly in the skillet. Layer the mashed potatoes on top, smoothing out the potatoes as evenly across the beef as possible. You can use the tines of a fork to make a spiraled texture to the top.
- Place in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden.
- Remove from oven and top with a knob of butter. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
© chasingtheseasons. All images & content are copyright and trademark protected. Please do not use my photography without prior written permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.
4 Comments
ROBIN G NEELY
How does this do with make ahead?
Chasing the Seasons
You sure can! You can fully assemble the pie, let it cool down a bit, wrap it and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. I would suggest, if time permits, to let it sit on the counter for 30 mins or so before baking to take away some of the chill. You can make it a 3-4 days in advance. Others will say you can freeze it too, but it takes a very long time to thaw and cook through.
Rosa
Oh my gosh! My mouth is watering! This dish sounds amazing! I think my family will love this! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Chasing the Seasons
Hi Rosa, thank you so much for your kind words! It’s so easy to make and it’s certainly not short on flavor. I hope you give it a try! 🙂