French Style Cottage Pie (Hachis Parmentier)

A staple French dish of seasoned ground beef topped with buttery potato mash.

Known as Hachis Parmentier, the French Style Cottage Pie embodies French comfort food at its best. It features a layer of ground beef that’s seasoned with nutmeg and fresh herbs, topped with creamy mashed potatoes that are loaded with butter, and baked until golden and bubbly. The dish is hearty, comforting, and perfect for colder fall and winter weather.

• 1.75lbs (800g) lean ground beef
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (14g) butter, unsalted
• 2 small onions, peeled and diced (or large shallots)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (200ml) beef stock (ideally, low sodium)
• 1/3 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
• 4 tbsp (30g) breadcrumbs

• 2,2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 tablespoon salt (for the boiling water)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (200ml) milk (whole or 2% mf), at room temperature
• 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut in large chunks