Cottage Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 -4 drops Worcestershire sauce
3 -4 drops Tabasco sauce
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock or 1 cup chicken stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
3 lbs potatoes
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, celery and carrot, stirring them over a brisk heat but not allowing them to brown.
After 5 minutes or so add the garlic, reduce the heat and soften everything together.
Increase the heat again and add the ground beef, stirring until browned.
Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, wine and stock, season and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with the milk until smooth and creamy.
Spoon the meat mixture into a gratin dish and cover with a thick, even layer of mashed potato.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with seasonal vegetables.