31 October 2007

Hallowe’en cottage pie

Given that I get so many visitors in the run up to Hallowe’en (my spelling might seem archaic, but that’s how it’s listed in my dictionary and I like that apostrophe, dammit!) you’d perhaps think that I would make something of the day here at P’Soup. But no. In the life of this blog, this is the first time I have actually posted on October 31st. It’s not as though I’m too busy to write because I’m amusing my friends while dressed like a ghost or out and about trick or treating. I did once sleep in the cellar of what is reputed to be the most haunted pub in Britain on Hallowe’en night in order to raise money for ChildLine but that was exceptional behaviour for me - I’m much more of a ’stay-at-home-and-hibernate’ kind of person at this time of year.

The early darkness makes me want to eat warming, hearty food. Something nutritious and filling and - most of all - comforting. Bean-crammed sausage casseroles. Sinus-clearing curries. Saucy pasta bakes. And tonight, spicy mince with a mixed root vegetable top - or Hallowe’en cottage pie, as I now seem to have monnikered it.

It’s a relaxing, potter around the kitchen cooking in shifts kind of a meal and is a doddle to make. Here’s how (in my usual haphazard, no weights, no measures kind of way):

• Chop an onion or two and cook in some oil and add some chopped garlic if you like. Once soft and golden, add enough tomato puree to give the onion a good coating. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the mince - I’ve used lovely lean organic beef mince which is the only way that my conscience will allow me to continue to indulge my appetite for meat. Allow the mince to brown in the pan, stirring at times to make sure it doesn’t stick. Now add chilli flakes and chilli powder - not too much, just enough to give it a bit of a kick. Once browned I added a slurp of red wine (because I fancied it) and a spash of vegetable stock - you just need to add something that will add both liquid and flavour. Ale or stout might be nice. I’m not sure I would go with whiskey though, but if that’s what tickles your fancy then why not. You might add some herbs at this stage too, some thyme perhaps or sage. Let the mince simmer and add whatever chopped vegetables you feel like. Tonight I used celery, green pepper, mushroom and peas as that’s what we have in the fridge, but it’s entirely up to you. Cover, turn the heat right down and go away to do something else for at least half an hour.
• When you return you can start to prepare the mash. I don’t actually mash mine, but ‘root vegetable pulp’ just doesn’t sound as appetizing, does it? Use whatever root vegetables you have to hand - I used a large parsnip, a swede and a couple of small potatoes. Peel and chop them into small pieces, pop into a saucepan and add enough milk to just cover. Put on to boil and then allow the vegetables to cook until soft. When cooked, add a generous knob of butter, a good spoon of dijon mustard, lots of pepper and a teeny bit of salt, then blitz the whole lot with a hand-held blender. If you prefer to mash your veg, then cook them in water, straining them before you mash and then add milk (if neccesary) and the other ingredients. You should end up with a gloriously creamy, sloppy, delicious-tasting concoction that is not so gooey that it can’t hold its shape. I could eat platefuls of this on its own. Yum.
• Finally, check your meat mixture - if it’s too runny then whack up the heat and let it reduce. Put the mince into an oven-proof dish, put the root vegetable gloop on top. You can make exciting swirl shapes in it if you want to, but I don’t think it makes any difference to the flavour. Then bung it in the oven on a low-ish heat and leave it for at least an hour. If need be, you can always cook it at a higher temperature and for less time, but I think ’slow and low’ improves the flavour. Plus, you can forget about it for a while and do something else. Always a bonus.

We ate ours with a pile of green vegetables (because there are clearly not enough vegetables in it already!) while ignoring knocks at the door from the neighbourhood trick-or-treaters. What’s the Hallowe’en equivalent of ‘bah humbug!’ I wonder?

Filed under: Recipes - Non-soup — Clare @ 9:08 pm