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Cottage pie

Cottage pie with roasted cheesy spiced cauliflower and watercress salad

Cottage pie is one of the all-time great comfort dishes. Your Sunday lunch will never be the same again

Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 900g M&S Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 125g M&S unsalted butter
  • 100ml M&S double cream
  • 2 cloves M&S loose garlic
  • 3 tbsp M&S olive oil
  • 2 M&S brown onions, diced
  • 2 M&S loose carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 sticks M&S celery, diced
  • 4 sprigs M&S cut thyme, chopped
  • sprig M&S cut rosemary, leaves chopped
  • 400g M&S Irish minced beef
  • 1 tbsp M&S plain white flour
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tbsp M&S tomato purée
  • Few drops of Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tsp M&S smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp M&S English mustard
  • 200ml M&S red wine
  • 100ml M&S chicken stock
  • 125g M&S garden peas
  • 60g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 200g M&S Cornish Cruncher, grated
For the cheesy spiced cauliflower
  • 1 M&S loose cauliflower
  • ¼ tsp M&S smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp M&S cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp M&S nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp M&S garlic granules
  • 2 tsp M&S pure honey
  • 1 sprig M&S cut thyme, chopped
  • 1 sprig M&S cut rosemary, chopped
  • 50g M&S parmesan, grated
  • 3 tbsp M&S vegetable oil
  • 30g M&S toasted pine nut kernels
  • 20g M&S mozzarella, chopped
  • 20g M&S Cornish cruncher, grated
For the watercress salad
  • 200g M&S watercress
  • 1 tbsp M&S extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Put the potatoes and 1 tbsp salt in a large pan of water, bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and leave in the colander for 1-2 minutes to steam dry.
  2. In a large bowl, push the potato through a potato ricer with the butter. Stir in the cream and add 2 cloves of smashed (not crushed) garlic to infuse. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm for 30 minutes, then remove the garlic. Scrape the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a wide nozzle and set aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan, add the onion, carrots, celery, thyme and rosemary. Season and sauté over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until softened.
  4. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Brown for a few minutes, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Stir through the flour and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, a few drops of tabasco, mustard, smoked paprika and wine to deglaze. Pour in the stock and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in the peas and taste to check the seasoning. Transfer the beef mixture into 4 individual pie dishes/large ramekins or one large baking dish.
  7. Pipe dots of mashed potato on top of the beef, starting in the centre. Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs on top of the potato, followed by the grated cheddar. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
  8. Meanwhile, for the cauliflower: preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Cut the cauliflower into three 4cm thick pieces. Place the slices into a large saucepan of boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  9. In a small bowl, add the spices, honey, thyme, rosemary, parmesan and oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the cauliflower slices in the dressing and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle over any remaining dressing and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Roast for 5 minutes. Top with the cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes.
  10. Just before serving, dress and season the watercress lightly and place on top of the baked cauliflower. Serve with the cottage pie.