Elk Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie, also known as Shepherd's Pie (technically requires lamb) or Pâté Chinois if you add corn.  This recipe can be done with any red meat.  I have done it with venison and moose, but this one was done with elk.  Also, the photos shown are for a double recipe.  I freeze whatever I don't eat and it keeps for a shockingly long time in the freezer.
 

Ingredients

2 lbs ground Elk (Or other red meat)
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of frozen peas and carrots
1 Tbsp. finely chopped or dry rosemary
1 Tbsp. finely chopped or dry thyme
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (at least lol!)
1 cup stock (I used moose stock, but beef or any red meat game stock will do)
1/4 cup all purpose flour 
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 kg of russet potato 
125 g salted butter
1/2 cup of half & half cream

Method

1) Peel the potatoes and get them on the stove right at the start in salted water that's twice as deep as the potatoes.  Boil until tender to mash.

2) Finely dice onion and garlic.  If using fresh rosemary or thyme, finely chop those as well.

3) On medium-might head, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme until the onion is translucent and starting to brown.

 4) Add the meat! Break it apart with a spatula or spoon and cook until brown.

5) Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste, stock, and Worcestershire sauce.
6) Taste it!!!!
7) Add a little salt and pepper, maybe some more Worcestershire sauce and stir some more.
8) Repeat steps 6 and 7 until it is fucking amazing, but be careful not to over season it.  You can always add more salt, pepper, or Worcestershire sauce, but you can't take it out.

9) Sprinkle flour over the sauce and stir it in to thicken it.

10) TASTE IT!!!! Add more seasoning if required.

 11) Preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

12) Strain potatoes and return them to the pot.
13) Lightly mash potatoes with butter and half & half
14) Taste!
15) Add a little salt to the mashed potatoes and stir.
16) Repeat steps 14 and 15 until your mash tastes perfect!

17) Decide how many portions to make and arrange casseroles, one large is probably fine.

 18) Add in meat mixture.

 

19) Add frozen peas and carrots, and mix in.

 20) Add a thick layer of mashed potatoes and make a nice pattern with a fork or other utensil.

21) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes on the top shelf in the oven.
22) Pass the time reading a wild game cookbook. 

The L.L. Bean Game & Fish Cookbook by Angus Cameron and Judith Jones is a classic!

 23) Now, this is where you can burn and ruin this dish if you look away for even a moment.  Use the oven broiler to brown the top.  Like seriously, if you walk away from the oven for more than 30 seconds your are going to go from no colour to cremated.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  If you are not comfortable with a broiler, skip this step.  It's easy to set off the fire alarm or burn down your house with the broiler.  LOL!

 24) Serve and enjoy!

This is the second piece! Haha! The first is always a disaster, and no, it didn't land on the plate this neatly! I used the classic Gordon Ramsay technique of wiping the plate before this photo. Also, Instagram filters make everything look more delicious!