Traditional Cottage Pie

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Heat oil in a large pan and add onion, garlic and carrots. Cook over a medium heat for 5–10 minutes until softened.

Add minced beef or lamb and cook for a further 5–10 minutes, stirring thoroughly to brown. Make sure you break up any larger pieces.

Add tomatoes, stock, parsley and red wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper if required. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the mash, boil potatoes and parsnips in a saucepan of salted water, from cold, until soft. (Boiling from cold makes the best mash.) Drain and smash together with butter and milk, stirring in horseradish (or chopped thyme if you prefer).

Spoon meat into a greased ovenproof dish or separate ramekins if you would like to make individual servings. Top meat mixture with grated Gruyère before covering with mashed potato and parsnip. You can keep a little of the cheese for the topping if you like a cheesy top. Sprinkle with a few cubes of butter and bake in oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

_{An extract from Minced with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group NZ. Copyright © Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander, 2010. RRP $35.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide.}