Shoyu-koji Cottage Pie
Pie culture in the UK is truly off the charts; even Shakespeare regularly featured them in his works. From sweet to savoury, they come in an endless array of shapes and sizes. While not technically a pie (a debate for another time!), my husband is obsessed with cheese & onion pasties—a “delicacy” virtually impossible to find in Japan. Whenever he spots anything remotely resembling one, he buys it immediately, hoping against hope. I usually wait a few silent seconds for the inevitable cry of disappointment: “It’s sweet!”
Anyway, I digress. The Cottage Pie and its cousin, the Shepherd’s Pie, swap pastry for a “roof” of buttery mashed potato over a rich, meaty base. Traditionally, the Cottage variety uses beef mince and the Shepherd’s uses lamb, both of which can be surprisingly elusive in Japan. However, a beef-and-pork “mincemeat” mix is readily available here and works beautifully. Whether you are making the Cottage, Shepherd’s, or a hybrid version, the secret lies in the shoyu-koji marinade, which brings a profound depth of umami to the meat.
Shoyu-koji Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 300 g minced beef
- 30 g shoyu-koji (10% of the weight of the meat)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- ½ carrot (finely chopped)
- ½ celery stick (finely chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp shoyu-koji
- 100 ml water
- 1 bay leaf
- black pepper (to taste)
Mashed Potato
- 4 medium size potatoes (choose a variety suitable for mash)
- 1 tbsp shio-koji
- 2 tsp miso paste (rice miso)
- 50 ml milk
- 30 g salted butter
- Parmesan cheese (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Marination
- Marinate the meat: Place the minced meat and shoyu-koji into a bowl. Mix thoroughly until the koji is evenly distributed throughout the meat. Cover tightly with cling film to seal in the flavours and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Method
- Bring to room temp: Remove the marinated minced meat from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature.
- Prep the aromatics: Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
- Brown the meat: Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the minced meat on its own over a medium heat. Once it is fully cooked through, transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Using the same oil left in the pan, fry the chopped onion, carrot, and celery.
- Build the flavour base: Once the vegetables are tender (give them a taste first!), add the garlic, dried thyme, and shoyu-koji to season. Fry over a low heat for a minute or two until the garlic becomes beautifully fragrant.
- Combine and enrich: Return the browned meat to the frying pan, add the tomato purée, and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Simmer and reduce: Pour in the water and add the bay leaf. Simmer gently over a medium-low heat until the liquid has beautifully reduced and thickened.
- Finish the filling: Stir in a generous grind of black pepper to taste, then remove the pan from the heat.
Mashed Potatoes
- Boil the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and add the shio-koji directly to the water. Boil until the potatoes are completely tender.
- Prep the milk: While the potatoes are boiling, completely dissolve the miso into the milk. Give it a quick taste to check the seasoning!
- Steam and mash: Drain the boiled potatoes well and let them sit in the colander for about 3 minutes to steam-dry. While they are still warm, mash them thoroughly with a potato masher.
- Make it smooth: Add the butter and the miso-infused milk to the potatoes, then mix vigorously until completely smooth and creamy.
- Season: Finish the mash by folding in a handful of grated cheese and adding black pepper to taste.
Finishing Touches
- Layer the base: Spread the rich meat filling evenly across the bottom of a heatproof baking dish, then grate a light layer of cheese directly over the top.
- Add the “roof”: Top the meat with the smooth mashed potatoes, smoothing it out to the edges. Use the prongs of a fork to create textured patterns across the top—these ridges will catch the heat and crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- Bake to golden: Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 20–25 minutes. Once the top is bubbling and gloriously golden brown, remove from the oven and serve hot.