Cottage (Shepherd's) Pie

These last couple weeks have been hard, so I apologize for not posting a recipe last Sunday. I got some blood drawn at the Doctor and they hit a nerve and my arm was one giant bruise and it was a whole thing.

This recipe I got from Chef Ramsey. In the video I got it from he didn't use real for sure measurements he did a lot of "use several splashes of this" and "a few glugs" of that. So, I tried my best to give a good estimate of the measurements. Funny thing I learned the first time I made this:

Shephard's Pie: Lamb
Cottage Pie: Beef
Hunter's Pie: Venison

Meat Mixture: Mince
Potatoes: Mash

So I made Cottage Pie, because I just can't bring myself to eat lamb. I think it would be interesting to try it with ground venison though.

Ingredients:

Mince:

1.5 lbs ground meat
1 large grated carrot (I actually bought a bag of grated carrot and then chopped it up because we like smaller bits of the carrot in ours.)
1 large diced onion
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth

Mash:

1.5 lbs golden potatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

(extra shredded parmesan for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Peel and boil potatoes. I always cut the potatoes into about quarters when I boil them. You will know they are done when you stick a fork in them and it shows no resistance. This is usually 20-30 minutes of boiling. Drain. Mash. Add all ingredients for Mash and blend with electric mixer until smooth. Set aside. Tip - When I have to separate eggs I crack them into a bowl and then use a spoon to pull out the yolks.

2. You can be making the Mince while your potatoes are boiling. Brown meat. Make sure you drain any grease. You don't want a greasy mince and we will be adding plenty of liquids so it wont be dry. Add carrot and onion. Cook until the veggies are tender. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine, and chicken broth, stirring between each. Let it simmer so all the flavors can mix together. It will end up looking a bit like sloppy joe mix.

3. I use my 7x5 pyrex glass dish. You put the mince on bottom. Then you cover it with the mash, making sure to spread it evenly. Then I take a fork and poke holes in the mash all over. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

Who doesn't love meat and potatoes?