Deconstructed cottage pie

Ingredients

• 1 pound / 450 grams lean beef mince (5% fat content)
• 2 pounds / 900 grams firm waxy potatoes (peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness)
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 stick celery (diced)
• 1 medium carrot (diced)
• 1 red or yellow pepper (capsicum) (deseeded and diced)
• 1 small leek (finely sliced)
• 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
• 2 ounces / 60 grams mushrooms (diced)
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup beef stock (use a stock cube)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney
• salt and pepper to taste (optional)
• 2 to 4 sunflower oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Preparation ---

2. 2

   Peel and slice the potatoes and place them in a bowl of cold water until you are ready to fry them.

3. 3

   Clean and dice the vegetables. Mince the garlic.

4. 4

   --- Make the savoury mince ---

5. 5

   Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large saute pan and fry the onions, garlic, celery, leeks, peppers and carrots on medium heat until they start to soften. Don't allow them to brown. To speed things up you can cover the pan with a lid.

6. 6

   Push the vegetables to one side and add the minced beef. Continue to fry until the meat has browned and is nicely separated. Break up any large clumps of mince with a spatula.

7. 7

   Once the meat has browned, add the tomatoes and mushrooms and continue to fry until the tomatoes and mushrooms release their moisture (about 3 minutes).

8. 8

   Add the stock, along with the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and mango chutney.Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the stock has thickened and reduced.If the mixture seems too watery, remove the lid for the last 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Stir in the peas and allow them to heat through.

10. 10

    Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

11. 11

    --- Potatoes ---

12. 12

    Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan

13. 13

    Pat the potatoes with a piece of paper towel to dry them and arrange them in a single layer in the frying pan. Season with salt (optional).

14. 14

    Fry over a high heat, turning with a spatula, until the potatoes are browned and crispy on both sides. You may have to do this in batches so that they brown evenly.

15. 15

    --- Serve ---

16. 16

    To serve, arrange the fried potatoes into a ring on a serving plate and pile the mince and vegetables into the middle.