With this weekly post we want to introduce you into the culinary range of the English speaking world. Each week we present you an iconic dish and give you information around its origin, preparation and eating habits. This week’s recipe comes from Great Britain!
Cottage pie is a cheap and filling dish which is widely spread in Great Britain. It is made from beef and baked under a potato mash topping. Some of you might know this dish under the name of „Shepherd’s pie“. Sometimes „Cottage pie“ and „Shepherd’s pie“ are used synonymously but in fact they are differentiated by the choice of meat. Whereas Shepherd’s pie is made of ground lamb, Cottage pie is made of beef. Its origins remain mostly unexamined but routinely the dish is associated with the United Kingdom.
The history behind the dish
Researching the history of this iconic dish you will find its roots in the late 15th century when England had taken control of Ireland, and made it part of the United Kingdom. As a result of the unification and in favor of Protestantism, Irish Catholics became peasant land workers. Thus, they were generally low-income individuals, living in homes called cottages. The main ingredient of the dish, the potato, was introduced in 1589 (by Sir Walter Raleigh) and soon became accepted as an edible and affordable product, particularly for the poor. In order to process leftover meat by adding seasonal vegetables and potato the Cottage pie was invented. The name “Cottage pie” then logically refers to the consumers of the dish — poor Irish peasants who lived in cottages. As is the case with many traditional recipes there are many variations of Cottage pie. For you to get started and to get a taste of it, we have chosen a simple recipe.
How to prepare Cottage Pie
In this interactive video you will find a recipe, some more background information as well as some tasks. In order to make sure that the interactive elements in this video are displayed correctly, please use the full screen mode.
We are looking forward to hearing about your experiences with this recipe. If you have any other suggestions for a recipe of the week, do not hesitate to contact us!
