Shepherd's Pie

Of course you can't possibly have a British kitchen without a Shepherd's Pie. If you make a big enough one, it may even last you for two meals. Being thoroughly British, I serve this with lashings of tomato ketchup. Sorry, but it's just what you do. This can be made with minced lamb instead of beef, but I understand this technically makes it a Cottage Pie. I'm not quite sure about this, is anyone else??

• FOR THE MASHED POTATO
• 6 medium to large peeled potatoes, quartered
• 2-4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 4 oz of cheddar cheese
• A couple of tablespoon of milk
• Salt and Pepper

• FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
• 1- 1 1/2 lbs of minced beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 2 cups of beef or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• A good couple of gulgs of Worcestershire Sauce
• 8 oz of frozen peas
• 2 bay leaves

• Fill a large pan with water, add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until soft.

• Drain water, add milk, butter, grated cheese and salt and pepper. Mash, adding more milk if necessary to get a fairly light consistency. Set aside.

• To get on with the meat sauce, pour a couple of tablespoon of olive oil into a large pan. Add the onion and leave to soften on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes, then add the celery, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cook for a further 5 minutes until soft but not brown.

• Add the meat to the pan and brown, drain off any excess fat. Add the stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and partially cover. Cook for a further 10 minutes, then add the frozen peas, cook for a further 5 minutes.

• If the consistency is too thin, mix a tablespoon of soft butter with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Add a tablespoon of the sauce to the cornstarch and mix to a paste. Add this to the sauce and stir in until the sauce has thickened. Remove the bay leaves.

• Pour the sauce into an oven proof dish and top with the mashed potato. Pop under the broiler (grill) until golden brown, but PLEASE keep an eye on it, I have cried over burnt Shepherd's Pie!

Serve with ketchup of course, and yes, a nice fresh salad if you feel you should.