Beef cottage pie with cheddar mash

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 700 g beef mince
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 250 ml beef stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 100 g frozen peas

For the mash

• 900 g floury potatoes
• 50 g butter
• 120 ml whole milk
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 130 g mature cheddar (grated)

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 4 cm chunks. Finely dice the onion and carrots. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the beef mince and cook for 7 minutes, breaking it up as it browns. 3. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, thyme, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes, then stir in the peas and cook for 2 minutes. The filling should be thick, not soupy. 4. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. 5. Drain the potatoes well and mash with the butter, milk and 1 tsp fine salt. Stir in 100 g of the cheddar. 6. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spoon the filling into a 2-litre baking dish and spread the mash over it. Rough up the top with a fork and scatter over the remaining 30 g cheddar. 7. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. 8. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.