Hello I'm Mr. Ballam, thanks for choosing this lesson.

today, we're gonna be making a beef and lentil cottage pie.

Let's get started.

So what are we going to learn? Well, by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to use your different food skills to make the beef and lentil cottage pie.

Sounds great, right? But here are a few keywords that I want to go through first of all, that we're gonna go through in the lesson today.

So the first one is pulses.

Now, you may have heard of that word before, and these are edible seeds from a plant.

The second word is bacteria, and these are single celled microorganisms, which could cause food poisoning.

The third one is contamination, and that's the process by which bacteria are transferred to another area.

And the last one is piping, a food skill.

And this is to push food through a bag or tube to produce a line or a pattern, and you are going to be piping potato.

So let's get started.

So the first part of the lesson is all around ingredient use and safe handling.

So cottage pie is usually made with beef and topped with mashed potato.

Probably some of you have had it before and it dates back until the 18th century.

And shepherd's pie is a similar dish and it uses lamb.

And there are lots of variations around the UK.

So for example, you might be familiar with Lancashire hotpot, which is made with lamb and sliced potatoes, or perhaps Cumberland pie or perhaps a fish pie instead.

And that's what the fish, with the potato on top, too.

And there are vegetarian and vegan versions too.

Now, this recipe uses the mix of beef mince and lentils, and this helps us to diversify protein sources by substituting some of the beef, the meat, for some of the lentils, the pulses.

And this is a good way to be more sustainable.

And different types of lentils could be used such as red, green, or brown.

And other pulses could also be used.

So for example, if you didn't want to use lentils, you could use chickpeas or perhaps even red kidney beans and even baked beans.

But also, adding pulses or beans increases the fibre provided and can also save money.

Now, this recipe uses beef mince and that's raw meat.

And when storing, handling and cooking with raw meat, we need to take care.

And this is because bacteria can span between the raw meat, hands and equipment, and some bacteria may cause food poisoning.

So before and after handling red meat, we must wash our hands thoroughly.

And when cooking beef mince, it's important to cook it thoroughly, ensure there is no pink showing a raw meat.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So true or false? When cooking beef mince, it is important to cook it thoroughly so it is pink.

Is that true or false? Yes, that's right.

It's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, when cooking beef mince, it is important to cook it thoroughly and ensure that there is no pink, as in, no raw meat showing.

Brilliant work, well done.

So continuing our safe handling, it's really important that we handle food safely when we're storing, preparing, cooking, so it's safe to eat and it prevents contamination and food poisoning.

And the really simple way to remember how to do this are the four Cs, and you've probably heard of these before.

The first one is cleaning, the second one is cooking, the third one is chilling, and the fourth one is cross-contamination.

So let's have a look at each of these four in turn.

So the first one is cleaning, and we should always wash and dry our hands thoroughly.

It's really important.

And we also need to make sure that we clean work surfaces, handles, and equipment, and cloths as well.

It's really important.

We also need to wipe away any spills that we make, and also, we should clean as we go.

So if you've got a moment between different tasks, just have a quick wipe, make sure your area is clean and ready to go.

We also need to make sure the food storage areas are clean and that the food is stored properly.

Plus, we need to make sure we use a separate chopping board for raw meat and fish.

And when it comes to cooking, we need to make sure that we cook food thoroughly.

And this is to a minimum core temperature of 75 degrees.

And this is to show that most bacteria is destroyed.

You can see in the picture here, they're using a temperature probe just to check, but also, we need to make sure we serve food piping hot, and that's above 63 degrees.

And if we have any leftovers, we need to make sure we chill these down within two hours and then store them in the fridge below five degrees.

And if we then reheat leftovers, we need to make sure they're steaming hot.

And in England, that should be a minimum temperature of 75 degrees.

Also, if we've got any leftovers, we can store these and reheat them again, but we should only keep them for about 48 hours, but 24 hours for rice.

So another quick check.

So leftovers should not be reheated more than once and should be used within 24 hours because A, B, or C? That's right, it's C.

Well done, great work.

So the third one is chilling.

And the bacteria that can cause food to deteriorate and lead to food poisoning rapidly produce around about 37 degrees, which is body temperature.

And the temperature between five and 63 is known as the danger zone.

And this is the zone in which bacteria will multiply very quickly.

So reducing temperatures below five degrees slows this reproduction of the microorganisms. But it's important to note that cold temperatures do not kill the bacteria.

The fourth one is cross-contamination.

And this is the process by which bacteria are transferred from one area to another, mainly by humans, rubbish, pets, and pests, and food.

So tips include things like keeping raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.

Also, don't let raw meat drip onto other foods.

So we need to make sure it's in sealed containers stored at the bottom of the fridge.

Now, if you look at this photograph here, this is food stored incorrectly.

And if you look on the second shelf, you can see that this chicken, when it's open and it could drip down.

And what's below it? It's actually cooked chicken.

And that's not wrapped either.

So that's a really bad photograph of food storage.

We also need to make sure that we never use the same chopping board for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods without washing it thoroughly between use.

So what's wrong with this photograph of food in the fridge? A, B, C? Yes, that's right, A, isn't it? The raw meat is not wrapped.

Do you remember we just talked about that? Anything else? Yes, that's right.

The raw chicken is above the cooked chicken.

Brilliant, well done.

I hope you've been listening.

So I've got a task for you here.

Using the beef and lentil cottage pie recipe, I want you to suggest how the four Cs can be applied.

So in the first column, we've got making the cottage pie.

And you see here we've got five steps.

So getting ready to cook, preparing the ingredients and so forth.

In the next column, I want you to think about how we can apply the four Cs.

So good luck, come up with some creative ideas and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Pause the video.

So how did you get on? I bet you did brilliantly, didn't you? So let's look at some examples.

Now, remember, I'm gonna just show you some that I've come up with, but you may have come up with some great ideas too.

So the first one, we're getting ready to cook.

What would be the four Cs there? Yes, it would be basically washing hands and making sure our equipment is clean and the food has been stored properly.

So that's really important.

How about the second one? Yes, we need to wash the vegetables.

We need to wash the hands after touching raw meat.

So they're really important.

That's why we're preparing the ingredient.

And the third one, well, that's all about cooking the beef thoroughly, isn't it, so there's no pink, do you remember? And we need to make sure it's a minimum core temperature of 75 degrees.

How about the fourth one? Yes, that's about chilling the cottage pie, isn't it, within two hours and then covering it.

And also we need to make sure we clean all the work surfaces and the equipment too.

And the last one, which is all about storing? Yes, well done.

We need to store the cottage pie in the fridge below five degrees and we need to use it within two days.

Great work.

I'm sure you've come up with some of these, as well as some other ideas too.

Brilliant.

so now, let's move on to the cooking part of the lesson and lentil cottage pie.

So the different food skills we're going to use is the first one is measuring, and we're gonna be using weighing scales, which I'm sure you are very familiar with.

My top tip is just to make sure that it's displayed zero before you put any food in them.

The other one we're gonna use is measuring jug and just make sure the measuring jug is on the flat surface, so you measure properly going up the scale.

And also we're gonna be using measuring spoons, and it sounds really simple, but just make sure you use the right spoon.

We're also going to be peeling and we're gonna be peeling the onion and we're gonna be using our hands.

So when you take the peel off, perhaps you could make sure you put it in a kitchen waste or compost bin.

They're really important helping with sustainability.

And also, we don't need to peel the potato and carrot in this recipe, but we do need to make sure we wash them thoroughly and we are leaving the skin on because they provide extra fibre.

So quick check.

So the carrot and potato skin provide additional, A, B, C? Yes, that's right.

Well done, it's B, it's fibre, isn't it? So the skin provides extra fibre, which is great for us in our diet.

We're also going to be using dicing.

And you can see in the photograph, we've diced the potato into large cubes.

Now, why do you think that we've diced the potato into those cubes? Why not just put the potato in a saucepan whole or perhaps just cut into half or quarters? What do you think? Well, yes, the reason we've cut the potato into large cubes is to make sure it cooks more quickly.

We're also going to dice the carrot into smaller pieces, which is called a small dice.

And for both these, we're going to be using the claw grip.

Let's see the claw grip in action, shall we? So you can see here the people holding the cucumber down with the claw with one hand, and then using their fingertips as a guide to run the knife down.

We're also going to be using the hob and mixing as well.

So we're going to be cooking the beef and the lentil mixture on the hob.

And we're also going to cook the potatoes until tender and we'll use a knife to check.

So we just push the knife gently into the potato.

And also, we might need to adjust the heat to use temperature control, just to make sure nothing burns as well.

We also need to make sure we don't stir it too rapidly to avoid any splashes, particularly when it's very hot.

We're also going to be draining.

So when the potatoes are tender, we're going to take the saucepan over to the sink with the colander in the sync, and carefully drain the potatoes.

So just to recap, we're gonna drain the potatoes in a colander over the sink, but you need to be really careful 'cause the water is hot, it's boiling.

And when you're moving around the room, put the colander back on the saucepan, just so it doesn't drip on the floor.

And when you're putting the hot saucepan on a work surface, make sure there's a trivet or a pan stand on the work surface just so it doesn't burn.

So which piece of equipment do we use to drain the potatoes? A, B, or C? Yes, that's right.

It's A, well done.

So we're also going to be mashing as well.

So we're gonna mash the cooked potatoes with the milk and we're going to mash the potatoes until they're smooth.

Now, some chefs use a thing called a ricer, which is like a really big garlic press.

So what they do, they put the potato in the ricer or the large garlic press and they push it through and it comes through the nozzles and it becomes a really nice smooth mashed potato.

The other skill we're going to do is piping.

Now, some of you may not have done this before, and we're going to pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the beef and lentil mixture.

So we're going to use a piping bag with a star nozzle, and we need to push the mashed potato to the bottom of the bag so it's all in one place, and then twist it in place just so it's nice and firm.

And then we're going to apply a gentle pressure just to pipe the potatoes.

But if you don't have a piping bag, you could also use a fork just to fluff the mashed potato on top of the pie, just to make it look attractive.

So let's have a quick look at the piping, shall we? So here's the piping bag, you can see.

It's being twisted, nice and firm, so the potatoes are all in one place, and then gently, you then pipe the potatoes.

Do you remember? It is a nice gentle applied pressure and little stars are coming out on top of it, and you end up with a lovely mashed potato topping just like this.

And then we're going to be using the grill.

And you can see here, here's our cottage pie under the grill, and we're going to brown the top of the potato.

So preheat the grill so it's really hot when you need it, and therefore, it will brown really quickly.

And also, it means the rest of the pie, it doesn't get cold either.

The other tip is you may want to put the ovenproof dish or the foil tray on top of a baking tray, and therefore, you can easily put it underneath the grill.

And if anything bubbles over, it's actually on the baking tray, not on the bottom of the grill.

And of course, you must use oven gloves when you are using the grill, it gets really hot.

Okay, so now, I want you to follow the recipe and make your beef and lentil cottage pie.

Before you get started, I want to make sure that you're ready to cook.

So do things like tying up long hair, remove jumpers and so forth.

I'm sure you're really familiar now with these procedures.

The other thing I want to make sure is you get your ingredients and your equipment ready, so you are ready to cook.

And then when you're cooking, I want you to be clean and hygienic.

Plus, I want you to think about using your food skills.

So when you're dicing the potatoes and the carrots, think about the large dice, the cubes and the carrot, the small dice.

So think about precision and think about accuracy when you're doing it.

So here's the ingredients and here's the equipment.

So you might wanna pause the video now while you get these ready.

And here's the first part of the method, and here's the second part of the method.

So you can see there's an optional top tip at the bottom, and you can see that before you put your pie under the grill, you could put a little bit of grated cheddar cheese on top or perhaps a little spray oil.

And that will help to give a lovely brown crispy topping.

So good luck to you.

Follow the recipe, make sure you've got everything you need, and I'm sure you do brilliantly, and come back very soon and I'll see how you got on.

Good luck.

Pause the video.

Right then, so how did you get on? Did you do well? How'd the piping go? I bet you did brilliantly.

So let's just go through the recipe to see how you were successful.

And remember, sometimes you can use this to evaluate how you worked and improve next time.

So the first thing, you would've diced the potatoes and boiled them until they were tender, about 10 minutes or so, depends how big the cubes of potato are.

Then you would've peeled and diced the onion, and then you would've diced the carrot.

Remember, that was a small dice.

You then would've dry fried the beef with the onion and carrot, for about five to eight minutes until the meat is brown.

Do you remember? No pink.

Then you would've added the lentils, the water, the Worcestershire sauce, and the tomato puree, and then you would've crumbled in the stock cube and mixed everything together.

Hmm, bet that was delicious.

And then you bring everything to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook it for about 15 minutes.

Then preheat the grill.

Remember, we need the grill really hot.

So the potatoes then should have been cooked.

So you would've drained those, returned to the saucepan, added the milk, and mashed them 'till they're lovely, smooth and fluffy.

Next, you would've layered the meat mixture in the bottom of the ovenproof dish or the foil tray.

And then you would've piped the potato on top of the meat mixture.

And lastly, we'd put it underneath the grill to make it lovely and golden brown.

I bet you did brilliantly.

Just look at the example here.

I bet yours was fantastic.

Well, I really hope you enjoyed making the beef and lentil cottage pie.

It's a real classic dish to make, just with a slightly modern twist, adding the lentils.

It's a really versatile dish, and I'm sure you can be creative in the future.

So let's have a quick summary of what we've learned today.

So we know that cottage pie is beef topped with mashed potato, and it dates back to the 18th century.

We also know that the recipe uses a mixture of beef and lentils, helping to diversify protein sources by substituting just some of the meat with lentils, which are pulses.

We also know that safe handling of food is necessary when we're storing, preparing and cooking foods.

So it's safe to eat and prevents contamination and food poisoning, and that bacteria can quickly spread between raw meat, hands, and equipment, and some bacteria may cause food poisoning.

Plus the food skills we used today, which were many, includes things like measuring, peeling, dicing, using the hob, remember, we did some frying and boiling, mixing, draining, mashing, piping, and using the grill too.

Wow, you've done so much.

Well, I really hope you've enjoyed today's lesson.

And perhaps you'll make this recipe again, perhaps with your own twist.

Perhaps the potatoes could become sweet potatoes, for example, and you could add leeks or cabbage in the potato too.

Hmm, I bet that's delicious.

So thanks again and I hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson with me.

Thanks a lot, bye.