Cottage Pie with Garlic Butter and Irish Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound beef, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Roux

• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• Scant cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Topping

• 3 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 cup whole milk, boiling
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Dubliner cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Kerrygold Aged Cheddar

Garlic Butter

• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 3 to 5 cloves crushed garlic
• A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and onion and fry until soft and slightly brown. Increase heat, add ground beef and thyme and fry until beef changes color. Add wine, half the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, boil the unpeeled potatoes, then peel them. Add boiling milk and mash potatoes while they are still hot. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and add butter and chives, if using.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Bring the rest of the stock to a boil and thicken it well with roux. Stir it into beef - it should be thick but still juicy. Taste and correct seasoning.
5. Put meat mixture into one large or six individual pie dishes. Pipe or spread mashed potato mixture over the top. Sprinkle with grated cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden and slightly crispy. Serve with garlic butter and a green salad.
6. Roux - Melt butter in a pan and cook flour in it for 2 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. It will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.
7. Garlic Butter - Whip butter, then add in parsley, garlic and a few drops of lemon juice at a time. Roll into butter pats or form into a roll and wrap in parchment paper or foil, twisting each end. Refrigerate to harden.

Preparation

Serves

Serves 6

Notes, Tips & Suggestions

Roux: "Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required, or it can be made up on the spot if preferred to thicken up a sauce."

Irish Apple Cake

Description
"Irish Apple Cake varies from house to house, and the technique has been passed from mother to daughter in farmhouses all over the country for generations."

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• About 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 to 2 cooking apples
• 2 to 3 cloves, optional
• Egg wash
• 10-inch ovenproof plate

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of bread crumbs then add 1/3 cup superfine sugar. Make a well in the center and mix to a soft dough with beaten egg and enough milk to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a board divide in two. Put one half onto an ovenproof plate and press it out with floured fingers to cover the base.
3. Peel, core, and chop up apples. Place them on the dough and tuck in cloves, if using. Sprinkle over some or all remaining sugar, depending on the sweetness of the apples. Roll out the second half of the pastry and fit it on top - easier said than done as this "pastry" is more like scone dough and as a result is very soft. Press the sides together, cut a slit through the lid, egg wash, and bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned on top. Dredge with superfine sugar and serve warm with raw sugar and softly whipped cream.

Serves

Serves about 6

Source

Kerrygold/Irish Dairy Board