258. Cottage Pie

I bought an enamel pie dish, so I had to make a pie.

Cottage pie is all about the gravy. Every single movement you make towards that pan should be about the taste and texture of the gravy, because everything else in there is pretty much going to cook itself. So once you've got your onions and celery and carrots soft and salty you brown your meat. Then what do you do? You add more flavour. Tomato paste, a crumbled stock cube, dried thyme, pepper. Then for the liquor - red wine first. Then water from the kettle. More of the former than the latter, please. Not too much - you're not making soup.

Then turn it down and bugger off. Sneak up on it every now and again for a taste. It should soon be viscous and savoury. It might need salt. Bugger off again.

When you literally can't bear it any more, turn the heat off. Then make your mash but remember if you make too much it will be too heavy and if you make it too sloppy it won't keep the meaty stuff in its place.

You'll want some cheese either in your mash or on top. Oven. Then, just before you faint with longing, get it out of the oven and put it under the grill until the cheese is sizzling and brown.

Revel. With some cabbage or peas and the rest of the red wine.