Today’s traditional dish is one of my favorite Irish dishes: Irish Cottage Pie. Cottage pie is an Irish pub grub staple, and if you visit Dublin, you’ll see it on every single menu. You should try it if you get the chance!
I know I may have used a few atypical ingredients in this Irish Cottage Pie Recipe, but as far as I’m concerned, the only two mandatory ingredients to make a “real” Cottage Pie are potatoes and ground beef. Some Irish friends told me that they also add leftovers like: peas, mushrooms, boiled potatoes, ground meat, cheese, etc. Let’s make our own unique combination!
The Best Irish Cottage Pie Recipe
Print RecipeIngredients
- For The Beef And Vegetables Filling:
- 150 grams ground beef
- 1/2 leek, finely chopped
- 8 mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) red wine
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) hot meat or vegetable stock
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- For The Potato And Parsnip Filling:
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
- 4 parsnip, peeled and chunked to a smaller size than potatoes
- 4 teaspoons light cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (just if you have some)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make The Beef Filling:
1. While the potatoes are being cooked, place a medium saucepan on medium heat and pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leek and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the carrots and mushrooms and let cook until softened (about 8-10 minutes)
2. Add the minced beef to the pan and add 1/2 teaspoon ground garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some thyme leaves. Cook until meat turns brown, then increase heat to high and pour in the wine. Cook until it has evaporated, then lower the heat to medium heat.
3. Add the broth and the tomatoes to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until it becomes a creamy sauce.
4. Try and season to taste. Set aside.
To Make The Potato And Parsnip Mash:
1. Place chopped potatoes and parsnip in a pot and cover with enough water to boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce potatoes with a fork. Drain and keep 1/2 cup of the liquid.
2. In a large bowl, mash the cooked potatoes and parsnip with a fork until smooth. Pour in 3 tablespoons of cooking liquid and the cheese, beat well and season with the spices and add salt to taste. If the texture is too thick for you, add more liquid but be careful, we want to make a firm layer of mash as the topping the pie.
To Bake The Pie:
1. Preheat the grill to high, or use the oven at 175º degrees.
2. Spread the beef mixture on a shallow heatproof dish, then cover it with the potato mash. Make small marks with a fork on the surface. It will allow the mash to become crispy.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and grill for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Note:
*Optional leftovers add-on: white beans, red peppers, celery, peas.
