Warm, comforting winter fuel. Cottage pie is an English classic—a melt-in-the-mouth savoury experience. It is thought to have originated around the time potatoes became affordable, creating the apparent marriage of meat and potatoes and the perfect inexpensive but filling meal.
Growing up – we always referred to Cottage Pie as Shepherd’s Pie. Technically, Cottage Pie is beef or mutton, and Shepherd’s pie is lamb. Ours was always beef!
Spices from the Maghreb
This cottage pie is packed with flavour but has a unique twist on the traditional recipe: The sauce is infused with spices from the Maghreb and a generous handful of fresh herbs. The result is a delicious Moroccan Cottage Pie with melt-in-the-mouth umami flavours that linger on the tongue. It is simple to make, but please observe each cooking stage to achieve that roundness of flavour.
Recipe Instructions
So, here is a quick overview of full instructions in the recipe card;
Brown and Caramalise
At each cooking stage, you must brown and saute the ingredients until they are caramelised and soft, starting with each vegetable, adding the spices with the onions and finishing with the meat, fresh herbs, and, finally, the tomato.
Brown the meat—to the point where you have slightly burnt caramelised bits on the side of the pan—with no liquid, then add the tomato puree.
Good Quality Mince Meat
Ideally, choose good-quality beef mince from the butchers, but not too lean; you need a little fat for the flavour. Unlike supermarket mince, freshly ground butcher’s mince should not be watery. You must remove all the excess water before proceeding to the next stage. You can also use minced lamb or 50/50 pork and beef mince in your Cottage Pie.
The Tomato
Once added, simmer the tomato puree over a gentle heat until all the liquid has gone (for a second time!). Then add half a tin of tomatoes. Cook until you see beautiful tomato oil bubbling to the surface. Add the remaining tomatoes and cook down further. This rich tomato base enhances the Cottage Pie.
The Potato Mash
Ideally, leave the sauce to stand for 30 – 40 minutes while you make the mashed potato. This is not essential, but it allows the sauce to infuse further. This recipe has a classic potato topping made with milk and butter. However, you can replace the milk with full-fat yoghurt, creme fraiche, or sour cream. I also sometimes swap out some of the potatoes for celeriac, sweet potato, or carrot. All mash combinations perfectly complement the Moroccan twist on the classic Cottage Pie.
I do not tend to add a cheesy topping, but again, I leave it up to you to adapt to your guests’ tastes. I prefer the slight sourness the yoghurt/sour cream brings to mashed potato, but it is very much down to taste.
Don’t puree the potatoes with a stem mixer (they become too glutenous). Ideally, use a good old-fashioned potato masher, or the best is a potato ricer or an Italian food mill (passatutto). You are then guaranteed light, fluffy mashed potatoes.
Serve with a big crunchy salad, seasonal greens or traditional minty peas.
If you feel like using Magreb herbs, why not also try our Lamb or root vegetable tagines or the delicious Moroccan-inspired carrot salad?
Moroccan Cottage Pie
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 ovenproof dish
Ingredients
The Sauce
- 650-700 g ground beef or lamb
- 1 large onion
- 2 large cloves garlic – grated
- 1 large carrot (grated)
- 1 medium red pepper (finely chopped)
- 1 stem celery – finely chopped including the leaves
- 1 small banana chilli – finely chopped optional
- 1 handful – approx 10g each mint, parsley and coriander, a total of 30g. Finely chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika optional
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp raz al hanout
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tin plum tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
The Mash
- 850-900 g Potatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small onion
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 115 g butter
- 120 ml milk – or 50/50 with yoghurt or sour cream
Instructions
The Sauce
- In a large shallow pan – add a good glug of olive oil and fry the onions, as soon as they start to colour and soften, add the red peppers, the celery (but not the leaves) and the grated carrot. Add all the powdered spices.
- Saute gently until all the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelise. Add the garlic, bay leaf and celery leaves.
- Add the meat and continue to cook until it is completely browned and you start to see caramelised bits around the edge of the pan—not burnt, just caramelised.
- Add the tomato paste and the fresh herbs. Make sure the tomato paste is well incorporated. Simmer until the moisture has evaporated. Add half the can of tomatoes.
- Continue simmering the sauce until you see the gorgeous tomato oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the tin of tomatoes and simmer until incorporated. You can also add a little water if you feel the sauce is too dry for your liking.
- Turn off the heat and set aside.
The Mash
- Bring the potatoes, onion and garlic to boil in a large pan of salted water – until soft and mashable.
- Mash by hand or in the potato ricer. When smooth and not lumpy, melt in the butter and whisk in the milk (by hand) until you have a smooth consistency. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Spoon the meat sauce into a shallow baking dish and then spread the mash on top. Don't push the mash quite to the edges, so there is room for the sauce to bubble up and crisp around the edge of the potatoes. Leave the mash smooth, or use a fork to give it texture to crisp on the peaks.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 30-35 minutes or until the mash is golden and the peaks just turn brown.
- Serve with seasonal greens, a big salad or minty peas.
- See notes below for freezing.
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