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Hachis Parmentier (French Cottage Pie)

Hachis Parmentier (French Cottage Pie) with purée and minced beef
I have vivid memories of my earlier days, when a school lunch lady seized a massive metallic dish, filled to the brim with meat and purée. She set about serving large spoonfuls of this Hachis Parmentier to enthusiastic, hungry students. I was amongst the ones who usually waited until the end of the lunch shift to get seconds. Hachis Parmentier is a universal dish that everyone loves ; it has equivalents in many countries, with the British Cottage Pie, the Scottish Mince and tatties, the South American Pastel de papa and even the much alike African Bobotie. Those popular dishes, made with cheap ingredients, are my favourite to cook. They show how much we can make out of little. Even the process couldn't be simpler :
  • Make a purée, or ideally use frozen purée made ahead of time ;
  • Stir-fry your minced beef with some onions, herbs and a bit of broth  ;
  • Assemble in a baking dish ;
  • Top with breadcrumbs (no cheese needed !) and brown within 10 minutes !
This is not a vegetable-packed dish, I confess, but it will brighten your family's day, especially on a cold winter one ! We usually serve Hachis Parmentier as is or with a simple side of salad.

Hachis Parmentier - Recipe

Recipe - Advice & key points

  • I recommend buying meat that is not too lean (around 20% fat).  
  • You can make lots of purée ahead of time and freeze it, so you always have some ready for Hachis Parmentier ! This way, this recipe is particularly quick.
  • If you cannot find (or do not like) tarragon, it's ok ! Parsley only is fine. You could add chives, too.
All set ? Let's cook ! Note : The cooking times do not include purée time ; if you don't have some on hand, keep it mind to up the timing by your purée recipe timing !
Cooking Method ,
Cuisine ,
Courses ,
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 45 mins
Servings 4
Best Season Suitable throughout the year
Description

A delicious French family-style meal, with buttery purée and flavourful, moist beef ! 

Ingredients
  • 1 purée serving (see my oven purée recipe)
  • 800 grams minced beef (~20% fat)
  • 200 milliliters beef stock
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 handful of parsley
  • 1/2 handful of tarragon
  • 80 grams breadcrumbs
  • 2 pinches salt (large pinches)
  • 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
  1. If needed, start with your purée !

    If not already made, start with your purée (check out my Oven Purée recipe).

  2. Chop chop

    Peel and mince the garlic and onion.

    Mince your tarragon and parsley.

  3. Stir-fry your beef

    Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan.

    Sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat, with thyme sprigs, without burning, for about 4 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs.

    Add the meat & increase the heat to sear it, around 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

    Pour in the stock.

    Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes, to reduce the beef stock.

    At the very end, add the herbs and turn off the heat. 

  4. Assemble & bake !

    Place the meat at the bottom of a large baking dish and add the mashed potatoes on top, spreading it with a spatula.

    Make ridges on the purée and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs.

    Broil for 10 min at 220°C, or until the top gets evenly browned.

    Et voilà !! You're done !

    Check your dish frequently while broiling, as you can quickly end up with a burnt Hachis !
Keywords: hachis parmentier, Cottage pie, French Cottage Pie, family meal, comforting, home made, potato bake, minced meat
Read it online: https://multicarbs.com/recipe/hachis-parmentier-french-cottage-pie/

Thank you for trying out this recipe ! Do not hesitate to leave some feedback. I hope it brightened your day.