Legendary British cook Mary Berry has shared a delightful new take on a classic comfort food, perfect for feeding the whole family. The culinary icon unveiled her reinvented cottage pie recipe during the first episode of her new BBC series, Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking.
A Hearty Dish with a Hidden Healthy Twist
The star of the show was this reimagined cottage pie, which Mary herself prepares for her family. While the base features a rich, slow-cooked braised beef stew, the crowning glory is a creamy mashed potato topping with a secret ingredient: cauliflower. This clever addition offers a comforting twist on the classic dish, making it a potentially lighter option without sacrificing flavour.
The recipe description notes that this hearty beef stew is perfect for batch cooking or a weekend family meal. It also suggests that the cauliflower and potato mash works beautifully with other slow-cooked dishes. The recipe is designed to serve six to eight people and requires a 1.75-litre ovenproof shallow dish.
Mary Berry's Cottage Pie Recipe: Ingredients and Method
For those eager to recreate this family feast at home, here is Mary Berry's detailed recipe, rewritten for clarity.
Ingredients for the Stew:
- Three tablespoons of sunflower oil
- 1kg braising beef, diced
- 250g smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
- Two large onions, thinly sliced
- Three large garlic cloves, finely grated
- 500g chestnut mushrooms, halved
- Three tablespoons of tomato puree
- 55g plain flour
- 175ml red wine
- 450ml beef stock
- One to two teaspoons of redcurrant jelly
- Three bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the Cauliflower and Potato Mash:
- 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and chopped into large cubes
- 350g cauliflower, broken into florets
- Three tablespoons of milk
- Knob of unsalted butter
- 100g mature Cheddar, grated
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Begin by heating your oven to 160°C/140°C Fan. Warm the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over high heat. Brown the diced beef in batches until sealed, transferring it to a separate dish once done.
Next, place the bacon and onions into the pan and cook for several minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cooking for a few minutes more before mixing in the tomato puree.
In a separate small bowl, place the flour and slowly whisk in the red wine. Pour the beef stock into the main pan along with the redcurrant jelly. Stir over heat until it begins to boil, then incorporate the wine and flour mixture, combining it thoroughly.
Return the browned beef to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and add the bay leaves. Bring everything to a boil, then cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven. Let it cook for one and a half to two hours, or until the beef is perfectly tender.
Once cooked, ladle the braised beef into your 1.75-litre ovenproof shallow dish and allow it to cool slightly.
While the beef is cooling, prepare the mash. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for a further five to six minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft.
Drain the potatoes and cauliflower well, then return them to the saucepan. Add the milk and butter, then mash everything together until smooth. Season to your taste.
Spoon the mash over the beef filling and roughen the top with a fork. Finally, sprinkle the grated mature Cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C Fan and bake the pie for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately, ideally with a side of steamed vegetables.
A New Favourite for Family Dinners
This recipe showcases Mary Berry's enduring talent for creating accessible, delicious, and crowd-pleasing meals. The inclusion of cauliflower in the mash is a simple yet ingenious way to add a nutritional boost and a subtle flavour change to a British staple. It’s an ideal family meal that is sure to become a regular feature in households across the UK.
Fans can see more of Mary's culinary wisdom by tuning into Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking, which continues on BBC Two.
