Last night I was under the influence, of Martha Stewart. And when you are in this condition meals like cottage pie come out of it. It’s a lot like shephard’s pie, but instead of mashed potatoes, they are sliced thinly and roasted on top of the seasoned meat. You can clearly see how this turned my motor skills to mush. I love you, Martha.
Cottage Pie:
What it took for 2 (with leftovers, yesssss):
I followed this recipe pretty much verbatim out of Everyday Food, except for one accident, which proved to be delicious.
* 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
* 1 large yellow onion, cut in a medium dice
* 3 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch slices
* 2 Tbs. tomato paste
* 1 pound ground turkey (Martha used beef, so you can do whatever you please!)
* 2 Tsp. fresh thyme leaves
* 1 dark porter beer (I used Sierra Nevada. This was the mistake. Recipe calls for 1 cup of beer, but I poured the entire beer in. Whoops.)
* 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup frozen peas
* 1 large russet potato, sliced thinly (I used a mandolin)
* coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat your oven to 400. In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbs. butter over medium high. Add carrots and onions and saute for about 5 minutes, softening them. Season with salt and pepper and add in the tomato paste. Stir around to incorporate the beautiful red color. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up, for about 5 minutes. At this point add the thyme and beer. It is going to smell so incredible right now you might pass out. Bring the beer to a boil and reduce it slightly. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir, thickening it. Add 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the peas and season once more with salt and pepper.
Transfer this mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with the potatoes, overlapping them in a nice little circle that Martha would be so proud of. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with the last 2 Tbs. of butter. Oh, melt the butter first. Yep. Throw it in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown and crisp up. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving, if you are able. And it will be hard.
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