Organic beef cottage pie

There is nothing better than a plate of hot, cottage pie to warm you up on those cold nights.

Ingredients 

• 500g Wye Organic minced beef
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 2 carrots, diced 
• 1 stick of celery, diced 
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 800g potatoes 
• 50g butter 
• 50ml milk 
• 300ml beef stock 
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Method 

1. In a large pan or casserole dish, brown the beef over medium-high heat. Minced beef can be quite juicy, so fry it in its own fat until it starts to turn crispy and brown. Drain any excess fat if it feels too oily but keep a tablespoon for flavour. 
2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the meat. Cook for 8–10 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and tomato purée, cooking for another 2 minutes until the purée turns a shade darker. 
3. Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down. Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes. You want the liquid to reduce until it’s a thick, glossy gravy. 
4. While the beef simmers, boil the peeled potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and let them steam-dry in the colander for 2 minutes (this is the secret to a non-soggy pie). Mash thoroughly with the butter and milk until smooth. 
5. Pour the meat mixture into a baking dish if you used a pan to cook it. Spoon the mash over the top, starting from the edges to "seal" the gravy in. Use a fork to create deep ridges across the surface. 
6. Place in an oven at 200°C for 25–30 minutes. The peaks of the potato should be crispy and dark gold, with the gravy bubbling up around the edges.

For an extra layer of flavour, top the pie with some grated cheddar.