Tea tonight

It's cottage pie for tea tonight. I'm going to be home a bit late though, Robert, so you'll have to put it in at 180C for about half an hour to warm it up.

Cottage pie
Enough for 6
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 tbsp plain flour
750ml beef stock
1 kg minced beef
2 tablespoons brown sauce
150g frozen peas
handful fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 kg floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
100ml (1 /4 pint) milk
knob of butter
150g mature Cheddar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and caraway seeds and cook for 3 – 4 minutes then add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the hot stock then add the mince and brown sauce and simmer gently for 30 – 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 15 – 20 minutes until tender then mash well and stir in the milk, butter, cheese and seasoning. It’s a good idea to warm the milk first as it blends in more easily.

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven 160C) gas mark 4. Stir the peas and parsley into the mince and add salt and pepper. Spoon over the mash then bake for 45 minutes until bubbling and golden.