Cottage pie

Cottage pie

An example of cottage pie, made with minced beef or lamb
Type	Meat pie
Place of origin	UK, Ireland
Main ingredients	Beef Lamb mashed potatoes
Variations	Cumberland pie, Shepherdess pie
Media: Cottage pie

Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The dish is commonly made with beef or lamb.

Etymology

The term cottage pie was in use by 1791,^[2][6] when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor (cf. "cottage" meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers).

History

In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.^[7][8]

The term "shepherd's pie" did not appear until 1877,^[2] and since then it has been used synonymously with "cottage pie", regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or mutton.^{[1][4][9][7][8][10][11]} Folk etymology has led to the term "shepherd's pie" being used when the meat is lamb,^[12][13] as shepherds are concerned with sheep^[14] and not cattle.^[15][16][17]

Variations

• A St. Stephen's Day pie is made using turkey and ham.^[18]
• The Cumberland pie is a version with a layer of breadcrumb on top.^[19]
• A similar English dish made with fish is a fish pie.

See also

• Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
• Pâté chinois
• Irish cuisine
• List of Irish dishes
• List of pies, tarts and flans

References

1. The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 1933
2. Merriam-Webster Online
3. "The Chambers Dictionary", Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 1999
4. Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (Revised), Oxford University Press, 2006
5. "Jewish Cookery by Florence Greenberg", Penguin Books Ltd, 1947–1963
6. "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". Retrieved 7 December 2015.
7. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton, 1861.
8. Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book by Lizzie Heritage published by Cassell and Company, 1894
9. The Glutton's Glossary: A Dictionary of Food and Drink Terms. Routledge. 1990. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
10. The Constance Spry Cookery Book by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume, J M Dent & Sons, 1956
11. Chambers Dictionary, Ninth Edition, published by Chambers Harrap Publishing Ltd, 2003
12. "Delia Smith: Shepherds Pie with Crusted Leeks". Retrieved 24 January 2009.
13. "BBC Food Recipes: Shepherd's Pie". Retrieved 1 October 2011.
14. "Shepherds' Pie and Cottage Pie". Retrieved 24 January 2009.
15. "Comments on what kind of lamb for Shepherd's Pie". Retrieved 11 February 2009.
16. "Comments on Low Fat Shepherd's Pie recipe". Retrieved 11 February 2009.
17. "BBC Food Recipes: Classic cottage pie". Retrieved 1 October 2011.
18. "BBC - Food - Recipes : Turkey and ham pie". Retrieved 7 December 2015.
19. "What is Cumberland Pie?". Retrieved 6 December 2010.