Beef Stroganoff Cottage Pie with Crispy Parmesan Topping
| Pie Filling | |
| 800 g | chuck steak, gravy beef or braising steak, cut into bite-sized pieces |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| ½ tsp | cracked black pepper |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 large | onion, roughly diced |
| 1 tsp | garlic, freshly minced |
| 400 g | mushrooms, sliced |
| 2 tbsp | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| 2 tbsp | tomato paste (concentrated puree) |
| 1 tbsp | sweet paprika |
| 1 tbsp | Worcestershire sauce |
| 1 tsp | Dijon mustard |
| 2 cups | beef stock |
| 2 tbsp | sour cream |
| Mashed Potato Topping | |
| 1 kg | all-purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered |
| 2 tbsp | unsalted butter |
| 1 cup | milk, slightly warmed (see note 1) |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| Olive oil spray | |
| ½ cup | freshly grated parmesan |
| Pie Filling |
| Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper. |
| Using 1 tablespoon of the oil, brown the beef (in batches if you need to) in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat for 8–12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. |
| Using the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, cook the onion and garlic in the same pan over medium heat until softened, 2–3 minutes. |
| Add the mushrooms and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. |
| Add the flour, stirring continuously for 30 seconds (it will form a lumpy paste). |
| Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and beef stock. |
| Return the beef and any juices that have pooled on the plate back into the pan. |
| Return to a rapid simmer, then simmer over medium–low heat, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is sticking to the base of the pan, add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water. The gravy should be just bubbling (not bubbling rapidly). |
| Uncover and cook for an additional 1 hour to thicken. |
| The beef should easily pull apart with a fork. If not, cook in 15-minute intervals until it is tender, adding 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water at a time to ensure the sauce isn’t sticking to the base of the pan (see note 2). |
| Once the beef is tender, stir through the sour cream to create a thick, creamy sauce. Set aside to cool. |
| Mashed Potato Topping |
| Place the peeled, quartered potatoes in a large pot and add water so that they are covered by at least 8 cm (3¼ inches). |
| Place over high heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. |
| Remove the pot from the heat. Drain the potatoes in a colander and place them back in the pot. |
| Allow them to steam-dry for 1–2 minutes. This removes any excess water. |
| Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, add the butter, milk and salt, and continue mashing until the potatoes are soft and creamy. |
| Assemble Pie |
| Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). |
| Transfer the beef stroganoff mixture to a baking dish approximately 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 inches) (see note 3). |
| Spoon the mashed potato on top of the beef mixture. Add small spoonfuls all over the pie until the filling is completely covered (instead of big spoonfuls that you need to spread out). Do this while the mashed potato is hot, as it’s much easier to work with while warm (cold mashed potato stiffens). Use a fork to rough up the surface gently and to spread the potato to fill in any gaps. |
| Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden and crispy. |
| NOTES |
| 1: Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop; it helps to keep the mashed potatoes smooth and creamy. |
| 2: The total slow-cook time in the recipe is 2 hours 30 minutes. If your beef is still not tender, continue cooking. The total cook time will depend on the cut of beef you’re using and how hot your stove is. A high heat will result in the base catching, but if the heat is too low the beef will take longer to cook. Continue cooking in 15-minute intervals until the beef is tender (it will only further tenderise as you cook it). If the sauce is looking dry and catching on the base of the pan, add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water at a time. It shouldn’t take longer than 4 hours – any longer than that and the beef will start disintegrating completely! |
| 3: This is not a stiff pie filling; add the beef and any residual sauce to the baking dish. |