Cottage Pie

In the US, the pie made with ground meat, a few veggies, and mashed potatoes, but no pastry crust, is generally called Shepherd's pie regardless of what kind of meat is used.  In the UK and Ireland, however, this is not the case.  On the other side of the Atlantic, it's only shepherd's pie if it's made with lamb, and it's called cottage pie when beef is used.  Either way, though, it's a delicious, hearty comfort food.  It's very easy and relatively cheap to make in huge batches, which makes it common in pubs across the UK and Ireland, and perfect for feeding a crowd.

School may already be out for the summer, but it's been cool and rainy in Denver this month, and I felt a little warm British comfort food was in order, so I decided to make this this week based on several British and Irish recipes.  I skipped the customary peas and tomato paste, added garlic, and substituted Kerrygold Dubliner cheese for the usual yellow cheddar.  While very easy to make, this recipe can be a little time consuming, since you have to reduce the stock to make the gravy, though you can definitely save time by using leftover mashed potatoes rather than making a fresh batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 14 oz beef broth*
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, 1/4" diced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/3 cup grated Dubliner or sharp cheddar cheese
  

For the mash:**

• 3 medium potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 stick butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Dubliner cheese

Instructions:

First, make the mash.  Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and place in a large pot.  Just cover with water, and place on the stove over high heat to boil.  Once the potatoes are tender (after about 20 minutes), strain and return to the pot.  Add butter and milk, and mash.  Add grated cheese and stir or mash to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat half the oil and fry the meat until browned.  Set aside.  Add the rest of the oil and fry the vegetables until soft.  Add the broth, flour, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce.  As the liquid cooks off, put the meat back in the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Once the gravy is thick, discard the bay leaves and transfer to a medium oven-proof dish or 4 large individual dishes.  Top with mashed potatoes and 1/3 cup grated cheese and bake at 425F until cheese is melted and begins to brown, about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Total time:  Approx 90 minutes.

*Next time, I might substitute half a bottle of Guinness or 1/2 cup red wine for half of the broth, like I often do with Bangers and Mash.

**You can, of course, also use leftover mashed potatoes.  Just re-heat about 2 to 3 cups worth and stir in the cheese.

Pork and Apple Pies

Meat pies have long been a staple in British kitchens and pubs.  The practice of encasing meats in pastry while roasting to keep the juices in was introduced in the middle ages, though at first, the pastry was discarded before serving.  It wasn't long, however, before chefs realized that leaving the meat in the pastry was delicious too, and they quickly started adding gravy, vegetables, and herbs.  Those pies, served hot or cold, have graced the table at many royal banquets throughout the centuries, and were often eaten by commoners as an easy on-the-go meal.

These are not at all the traditional English Melton Mowbray pork pie.  Those pies, popularized as "fast food" in the eighteenth century and comprised of a hot water pastry shell filled with pork and gelatin, looked like far more effort than I felt like expending on my day off, and require things like pig's feet not easy to find in the Denver area.  I've never even attempted hot water pastry, and didn't feel like trying to find lard at the grocery store.

So instead I improvised.  Using the French-style tart dough I use for all my fruit pies, the granny smith apples I had in the fridge, an onion, some diced pork, and a few slices of bacon, I concocted what I hoped would be a nice, hot dinner for a cold and rainy evening.  And they turned out wonderfully!  The apple, onion, and sage complimented the pork perfectly, and they were wonderful hot out of the oven and cold later in the evening!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 6 tbs butter
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg

For the Filling:

• 1/2 lb diced pork
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 granny smith apple
• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 tbs chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup chicken or veggie stock
• 2 tbs flour
• pinch of mustard powder
• pinch of garlic powder
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

First, make the crust*.  Cube the butter, and combine with flour in a medium bowl.  When dough forms a craggy ball, add water a little at a time until a smooth dough is formed.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Next, make the filling.  Cut the pork into 1" pieces, and cut the bacon into small pieces.  Dice the apple and chop the onion and sage.  In a large bowl, combine flour, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  Toss the meat in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Place the meat in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until it begins to cook, about 6 minutes.  Add the onion, apple, and sage and continue to cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Transfer to a large heatproof bowl, and set aside.

Add the chicken broth to the frying pan over medium heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  This will collect any caramelized meat juices and sediment left over in the pan.  While the broth is cooking, preheat oven to 350F.  Divide the pie filling between 6 ramekins.  Once the broth has mostly evaporated, pour it over the filling in the ramekins.

Divide the crust into 6 golfball sized pieces.  Roll each one out and place it on top of one of the pies.  Make an egg wash by beating the egg with a little water, and brush this over the top of each pie.  Cut a small vent in the middle of each crust, and place pies in the preheated oven.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 325F for a further 45 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

*If making pie crust isn't something you really want to do, you could just as easily use store-bought puff pastry, cut to fit your pie dishes.

Bangers and Mash

My next post was going to be smoked salmon pate.  Then I went to Trader Joe's and found "Irish Bangers" in the spot where the salmon usually is.  Obviously, my dinner plans changed.  How could I not buy them?  (And yes, I do realize it's a bit weird that I freaked out a little over sausages.  In public.  In front of all the Trader Joe's hippies.)  So instead of salmon pate, which will probably be coming later, I'm making a very simple British dish with a vaguely dirty sounding name.

Many Americans reading this may well be wondering "what, exactly, are 'bangers and mash'?" right about now.  "And why would I want to eat them?" is also probably a pertinent question.  As you have probably gathered from the above photo, "bangers" is a weird British term for sausages.  Specifically, savory pork sausages similar to bratwurst.  Why?  Because they "bang," or pop, when heated too quickly.  Also, the English are a wee bit crazy.  Mash, of course, is short for mashed potatoes.

This dish seems to have originated in England (though this is unclear), but is now common throughout Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.  We certainly see the first references to this dish as a pub favourite in Britain during World War I, but it seems likely that this dish has existed since the eighteenth or nineteenth century, when Britain adopted the potato to feed its growing industrial working class (see A Brief History of the Potato for more information).  Regardless, it has long been a pub staple in Britain and Ireland because it's relatively cheap and easy to prepare in large quantities.  It's also filling and absolutely delicious with a pint of your favourite ale, stout, or porter, which makes it a good alternative to corned beef and cabbage for your upcoming St. Patrick's Day celebrations, possible English origin or no.  It could, after all, have originated in Ireland, where the potato was a dietary staple much earlier, and been brought to Britain by immigrants during the industrial revolution.

 There are three components to this recipe: sausages, mashed potatoes, and onion gravy.  I generally start the potatoes and sausages at the same time, and make the gravy last, so the directions are listed accordingly.  If you want to make the gravy while everything else is cooking, you can make it in a separate pan.  I'm just too lazy to wash the extra dishes.

Ingredients:

• 6 pork sausages

For the mash:

• 5 medium red potatoes
• 1 stick butter
• Approx. 3 tbs milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the onion gravy:

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 14 oz can beef broth
• 1 tbs corn starch

Directions:

Start the mash first.  Clean the potatoes, removing any eyes and peeling if desired (I usually leave the skins on about half, since it contains a lot of the potato's nutrients).  1/4 to 1/2 inch slice the potatoes and place them in a large stock pot.  Fill with cold water so that the potatoes are just covered and boil for approximately 25 minutes, until they break easily when poked with a fork or spatula.  Drain, and return to the pot.  Add butter and mash until smooth.  While mashing, add milk as desired and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, start the sausages.  Simply place them in a medium to large frying pan on medium heat and prick with a fork to prevent "banging".  Turn the sausages occasionally.  When they begin to turn golden brown, remove from heat, allow them to cool slightly, and split them in half legnthwise with a sharp knife.  Return to pan, cut side down, and continue frying until browned and cooked all the way through.  Set aside.

While your sausages are cooking, prep your gravy.  Chop the onion fine and assemble and measure the other ingredients.  Once the sausages are done, remove them from the pan, but leave any juices.  Melt the butter, and then add the onion.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent, but not browned.  Salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that you can always add more later, then add the broth.  Turn up the heat and bring the broth to a boil.  Once the volume is slightly reduced, add the corn starch ad continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes.  Taste, season as desired, and pour a generous amount over each serving of potatoes and sausages.



A brief note on sausages: Traditionally, bangers are savory pork sausages not unlike bratwurst.  This can mean any of several regional sausages (such as Cumberland sausage) made in Britain, and not easily available in the US.  My local Trader Joe's had Irish-style bangers for St Patrick's day, but doesn't carry them year-round.  Some specialty food stores might have British sausages all year, especially on the east coast.  However, if you don't live in an area where these are easy to find, you can just as easily substitute any high-quality pork sausage.  I usually use bratwurst because it's not too strongly flavoured (spicy Italian sausage, for example, wouldn't go with the onion gravy.)