Backstories have always intrigued me. Whether they be about the people in my life, the choices of a gift, or the food I create, backstories have always shaped some of my perspectives as well as made for more meaningful, deeper connections to the people and things that matter to me. To be interested in a 'story' is to show genuine interest. Which is why learning some of the history behind a recipe has been an important part of the journey of making and/or developing a new recipe to share. While the origin of some recipes are conflicting, hard to find, or lack specificity, I find going on the hunt to be somewhat exciting and always enlightening. After taking a dive into the history of Cottage Pie, I came away finally understanding why Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie aren't exactly the same thing. In spite of the fact that some (okay, I will own this one) have incorrectly used the two descriptors interchangeably.
So here's the Reader's Digest versions of the backstories aka histories of Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. Sometime in the late 18th century, some cite 1791 as it's birth year, when the potato emerged as an affordable, every day food in both Ireland and the United Kingdom, Cottage Pie was created by resourceful women. While the dish is often attributed to being first developed in Ireland, some give Scotland that nod. The early Scottish version of this pie would have been made with a pastry crust, not a potato crust and the early Irish version most likely would have been with sliced not mashed potatoes. Considered to be a rather genius and economical way to use leftover meats and vegetables, Cottage Pie was considered to be more of a humble, rather than a nobel dish. Attributed to those who first ate this dish--poor Irish peasants living in cottages, explains the origin of its' name. Some sources also cite the late 1700s, early 1800s as the time period when the Shepherd's Pie was created. While originating in Scotland's and Northern England's sheep country, both Ireland and England also lay claim to its' origins. In paying homage of the shepherds of sheep, the term"Shepherd's Pie" wasn't coined until 1854 although it actually predates "Cottage Pie" by nearly a century. Regardless of which pie came first, each term was used synonymously and interchangeably with one another up until the 20th century. At some point a distinction was made between the two. Cottage Pie being one made with 'meat' and Shepherd's Pie being made with 'lamb'. Which means to call a pie made with a savory gravy, vegetables, meat (not lamb) and having a potato crust a Shepherd's Pie would technically be incorrect. Which is why the recipe shared below can only be called "Cottage Pie" and not "Shepherd's Pie".
Cottage Pie is the quintessence of savory comfort food. Whipped mashed potatoes atop a rich, wine enriched medley of vegetables and ground sirloin is an unfussy, ultra-hearty, unbelievably uber flavorful dish is a feel good kind of meal. One perfect for warming and cheering you up on a chilly, cloudy or cold night.
The ingredient list may look a little daunting, but there are no hard to find ones and it's really a very simple dish to make. To say we are now obsessed with this blissfully, mouthwatering delicious Cottage Pie would be an understatement.
Aside from the potatoes, the most traditional vegetables found in a Cottage Pie are carrots, onions, and peas. This recipe contains all of them as well as some diced celery and garlic. To deepen the flavor of the gravy, there is chopped fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary; tomato paste; Worcestershire; beef broth; and, a hearty red wine. For the ground beef I used a 90% lean ground sirloin, although you can use any lean ground beef as long it's 85%-93% lean.
While the original versions of Cottage Pie may have been made with leftover meat and potatoes, this version doesn't.
Made with russet potatoes, the mashed potatoes are creamy and craveworthy. Sour cream, heavy cream, and butter are what makes them so incredibly delicious. You can use a ricer to process the cooked potatoes, but I used a hand held potato masher. Making mashed potatoes by hand versus whipping them with a hand held electric mixer helps to retain their creaminess. You can simply spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the meat/vegetable mixture. Or you can pipe them on in a swirling design of your choice using a pastry bag and large open star pastry tube.
Cottage Pie is a great make ahead early in the day dish. Just cover and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. But remember to take it out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before placing in a hot, preheated oven.
The Cottage Pie gets baked, uncovered, in preheated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly golden brown and the gravy is bubbling along the edges. To get an even deeper golden color finish to the potatoes, broil the pie for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Cottage Pie may have traditionally been considered a humble dish, but it definitely deserves to be put it the celebratory and dinner party worthy categories. Sure it's a great casual, weeknight meal, but it's also an impressive one. So gather your friends around your table, put out some cloth napkins, open up a great bottle of wine or some bottles of Guinness, slice up some good bread, make a salad, and sit back to watch an evening of pure joy unfold.
This is the kind of dish you want to make the moment there is a chill in the air, the moment when you decide you need a break from decadent meals, and/or the moment you crave comfort food. In other words, this simple soul satisfying Cottage Pie is probably calling your name like it did mine.
Recipe
Cottage Pie
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Layer
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup whipping cream (or half and half)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Vegetable/Meat Layer
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow or Spanish onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large or 2 medium celery stalks, diced (a generous 1/2 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced (generous 1 Tablespoon)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin (90% lean) - See Notes
2 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup hearty red wine (see notes)
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup frozen peas
Directions
Mashed Potatoes
1. In a medium-large pot, add in the potatoes. Add water, covering the potatoes by about one inch. Generously season the water with Kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, cooking until potatoes are knife tender (about 12-15 minutes). Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander. Quickly rinse under hot water to remove the starch. Return the potatoes to the pan.
3. Using a hand held potato masher, break up the potatoes as much as possible, but do completely mash.
4. Immediately add in the room temperature butter, sour cream, heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Using a wood spoon stir until potatoes until they are creamy. Put the lid on the pan and set aside while you make the meat/vegetable filling.
Vegetable/Meat Layer
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
2. In a 12 inch saucepan, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add in the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the vegetables start to soften (about 6-7 minutes). Add in the minced garlic and continue to sauté for additional minute.
3. Add in the ground sirloin (broken into pieces). Cook until the meat is no longer pink inside (about 5-6 minutes).
4. Add in the flour and tomato paste. Cook for one minute.
5. Pour in the wine, beef broth, Worcestershire, thyme and rosemary. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has thickened and liquid reduced by a little more than half (about 7-9 minutes). The mixture should have a thick sauce like consistency.
6. Stir in the peas, parsley, Kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for about one minute. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
7. Transfer the mixture to a 9" x 12" baking dish. Spread the vegetable/beef filling to an even layer.
8. Using a large pastry bag fitted with an open star attachment (Ateco 827/828), pipe the mashed potatoes evenly over the top of the filling in a swirly design. Alternately, drop the mashed potatoes in spoonfuls over the filling. Run a fork through the potatoes to create a pattern (e.g., wavy rows).
9. Place the baking dish (uncovered) on the large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly golden and the gravy is bubbling on the sides. Note: If making early in the day to bake later, cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before baking.
10. If you want more browned mashed potatoes, turn the oven to broil and continue cooking the Cottage Pie for additional 3-5 minutes. Important Note: If you intend on broiling the dish at the end, make certain your baking dish can withstand a heat level of more than 500 degrees (F). To avoid any breakage issues, I prefer to use cast iron baking dishes rather than glass baking dishes.
11. Remove from the oven. Let rest about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes: (1) Whipping cream makes for a delicious, rich mashed potato. If you would like it slightly less rich, use half and half. (2) Fresh herbs make a significant difference in flavor. I do not recommend using dried herbs as a substitute. (3) For the wine, I used a red blend. If I had an open bottle of Cab, I would hav use that. (4) Leftovers heat up beautifully in the microwave. (5) I am not the biggest fan of freezing cooked foods, but if you are, let the Cottage Pie cool considerably after it is assembled before you wrap in plastic/freezer wrap. Baking time will change considerably when cooking a frozen Cottage Pie. (6) Last, but not least, if you make it with ground lamb, you can call it Shepherd's Pie!
