Cottage pie with Stilton mash | Supergolden Bakes (2024)

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

4.67 from 3 votes

Course: Main

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

• ▢ 900 g | 2lb Red Tractor braising steak cut into small cubes
• ▢ 6 tbsp Red Tractor plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• ▢ rapeseed canola oil for frying
• ▢ 500 ml | 2 cups hot beef stock
• ▢ 250 ml | 1 cup dark ale
• ▢ 3 Red Tractor onions peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 3 large garlic cloves peeled and sliced
• ▢ 2 large Red Tractor carrots peeled and finely diced
• ▢ 2 celery sticks finely diced
• ▢ 2 star anise
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tsp mild curry powder
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 1-2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 7 large Red Tractor floury potatoes such as Maris Piper peeled and cubed
• ▢ 125 ml | 1/2 cup Red Tractor whole milk or more, as needed
• ▢ 50 g | 2 tbsp Red Tractor butter
• ▢ 100 g | 3.5oz Red Tractor Stilton cheese crumbled
• ▢ salt and freshly ground pepper
• ▢ buttered peas and green beans to serve

• Preheat the oven to 150C (300F).

• Put the flour into a large plate and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add the beef cubes and toss until they are lightly coated in flour.

• Heat a generous glug of rapeseed oil in a large casserole dish (I used my Le Creuset). Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and brown the cubes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

• Add a splash of the stock to deglaze the casserole and scrape any sticky brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Pour any liquid from the pan in with the beef.

• Add more oil to the casserole and fry the onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

• Add the curry powder, cumin, garlic, carrots and celery and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

• Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, stock and ale.

• Add the cinnamon stick, star anise and the browned beef. Bring to the boil, cover the casserole and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours – checking after 1 hour to give the stew a little stir.

• Remove the casserole from the oven and transfer the stew to a large, deep, ovenproof dish to cool slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Check the seasoning and sprinkle with the thyme.

• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover the pot and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a rolling simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

• Drain and return to the pot. Add the butter and milk and mash together until smooth. Add a splash more milk if the mash is too dry. Taste and season.

• Transfer the mash to a large piping bag and pipe over the stew. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheese.

• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and cook for about 25 minutes until the mash starts to colour a little and the middle is very hot.

• Leave the pie to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve with buttered peas and steamed green beans on the side.