Halal-conscious recipe
Halal cottage pie
A big-batch cottage pie of Halal beef mince, onion, carrot and celery in a thick gravy with stock and Worcestershire sauce instead of red wine, under a cheesy mash topping.
Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.
Photo: avlxyz · CC BY-SA 2.0
Why Halal checks matter here
Cottage pie is beef mince that is Halal only from Halal slaughter, the gravy can take a large glass of red wine and is made with beef stock, and the mash is topped with cheddar, whose rennet is a check.
Cottage pie starts with beef mince, and ordinary retail mince carries no proof of how the animal was slaughtered, so buy Halal mince from a Halal butcher or a certified pack.
This version follows the Good Food team's cottage pie for BBC Good Food. The source adds a large glass of red wine but marks it optional, so it is simply left out here. The gravy also has 4 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, which this site rates Halal as long as the label lists no wine or added alcohol, and a beef stock to check (see stock cubes). The mash is topped with cheddar, and for cheese the rennet decides, so pick one labelled vegetarian or made with microbial rennet.
The filling simmers for 45 minutes until the gravy coats the meat, then the pies bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
Halal-critical ingredients
- Beef mince Cattle are a Halal species, but beef is only Halal when slaughtered to Islamic rules, and ordinary retail mince carries no proof of how it was slaughtered. Buy mince from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Beef.
- Red wine The published recipe adds a large glass of red wine, marked optional. Wine is the khamr the Qur'an forbids, and on this site that includes wine cooked into food. Leave it out, as the source allows. See Wine.
- Worcestershire sauce Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, which are fish, and vinegar; this site rates a bought sauce Halal but says to skip a bottle that lists wine or added alcohol. Read the label for wine or alcohol. See Worcestershire sauce.
- Cheddar The rennet decides cheese: microbial, plant or Halal-slaughtered animal rennet is fine, while other animal rennet is a known difference of opinion. Use a cheddar labelled vegetarian or made with microbial rennet. See Cheese and Rennet.
- Beef stock UK beef stock cubes such as OXO and Knorr contain beef fat that is not certified Halal. Use a Halal-certified beef stock or a vegan vegetable stock. See Stock cubes.
Safe substitutes
- A large glass of red wine → Leave it out (the source marks it optional)
- Cheddar with animal rennet → Cheddar labelled vegetarian or microbial rennet
Allergens
gluten (flour), milk (milk, butter, cheddar), celery, fish (anchovies in Worcestershire sauce)
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1¼ kg Halal beef mince
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 850 ml Halal beef stock or vegetable stock (the optional red wine left out)
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, without wine or added alcohol on the label
- a few thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Mash
- 1.8 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 225 ml milk
- 25 g butter
- 200 g strong cheddar made with microbial or vegetarian rennet, grated
- to taste nutmeg, freshly grated
Method
- Brown the mince. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan and fry the Halal beef mince until browned, in batches if needed. Set aside as it browns.
- Soften the vegetables. Add the other 2 tbsp oil, then the onions, carrots and celery, and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic, flour and tomato purée, turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes, then return the beef to the pan.
- Simmer the filling. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes until the gravy is thick and coats the meat; if a lot of liquid remains after 30 minutes, turn up the heat a little. Season and remove the bay and thyme stalks.
- Make the mash. Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain well and let them steam-dry for a few minutes, then mash with the milk, butter and three quarters of the cheddar. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Assemble and bake. Spoon the filling into 2 ovenproof dishes, cover with the mash and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
How this recipe was researched
Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Cottage pie' by the Good Food team (serves 10: 1¼ kg beef mince browned in batches; 2 onions, 3 carrots and 3 celery sticks softened about 20 minutes; garlic, 3 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée; a large glass of red wine, marked optional, reduced; 850 ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay; simmered uncovered 45 minutes; 1.8 kg potatoes mashed with 225 ml milk, 25 g butter and three quarters of 200 g strong cheddar, seasoned with nutmeg; baked in 2 dishes at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for 25 to 30 minutes). We specified Halal beef mince and a Halal or vegetable stock, left out the optional wine, and marked the Worcestershire sauce and cheddar as checks. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.
Technique and ingredient sources
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Cottage pie — BBC Good Food
Retrieved:
By the Good Food team. Serves 10, prep 35 minutes, cook 1 hour 50 minutes: 1¼ kg beef mince, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, flour, tomato purée, an optional glass of red wine, 850 ml beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs simmered 45 minutes; cheddar mash; baked at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for 25 to 30 minutes. We left out the wine.
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Worcestershire sauce analysis — isithalal.food
Retrieved:
Anchovies, the vinegar question and which labels to skip.