Who doesn’t love a Seder main that can be made ahead of time and re-heated? This extra-special cottage pie replaces everyday mince with slow-cooked side bola, for a rich, comforting filling. I like to serve it with glazed carrots for a bit of extra crunch and colour.
Method:
- Heat oven to 160C fan.
- On the hob, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a deep oven proof casserole with a lid.
- Fry the beef in batches until well browned on all sides.
- Add the remaining tbsp of oil and fry the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape up all the browned residue stuck to the bottom of the casserole.
- Add the beef back to the pan along with the mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves and parsley stalks.
- Mix the tomato puree into the stock and pour over the meat mixture.
- Put on the lid and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender.
- Mash the potatoes with the margarine and season to taste. Beat the egg yolks into the potatoes, one at a time.
- When the meat comes out the oven, mix the potato flour with enough water to make a slurry. Mix into the casserole to thicken the gravy, then decant into an oven-proof dish.
- Pipe or spoon the mash onto the meat, and return to the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes to brown the top.
Picture: Inbal Bar-Oz and Leyla Freedman
