Traditional English Cottage Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

400 ml beef stock (can use 1 stock cube dissolved in 400mls hot water)
50 g butter
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery, trimmed and finely diced
3 garlic cloves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 kg minced beef (ground beef)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 drops Tabasco sauce
175 ml red wine
For the mash topping
1 kg white potato
75 g butter
1 splash milk
parmesan cheese, for grating

Preparation

Melt the butter in a pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and fry over a medium/low heat for 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.
Add the beef mince and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until brown.
Add the tomato puree, worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, then stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat up to high and add the red wine. Let it bubble away and reduce for 5 minutes then add the stock and reduce to a medium heat. Simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring often.
Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into halves and quarters so they're all a fairly even size. Cook in a pan of boiling, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
Taste the mince and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Transfer it to an ovenproof dish (approximately 20cm by 30cm).
Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper then spread over the top of the mince.
Finely grate over a little parmesan cheese then cook for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
Serve with buttered peas or a simple side salad.