Name: Escondidinho (mince and mash bake)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Potato; 800 g Ground beef; 1 un Onion; 10 g Garlic; 200 g Tomato; 30 ml Olive Oil; 10 g Parsley; 10 g Chives; 40 g Butter; 150 ml Milk; 200 g Shredded Mozzarella; 12 g Salt; 2 g Black Pepper

Method

Peel the potatoes, cut them into even pieces and boil them from cold in water with 1 teaspoon of salt for 20 to 25 minutes, until very soft. Drain.
While they cook, chop the onion and garlic and dice the tomato small. In a wide pan over high heat, heat the olive oil and fry the minced beef (carne moída) for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with the spoon, until browned and the liquid it releases has evaporated.
Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes; add the garlic and stir for 1 minute; add the tomato, 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the tomato breaks down and the mince is moist but not soupy. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and chives.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Mash the hot potatoes with the butter and the warmed milk into a smooth, firm purée; season with salt and a pinch of pepper.
In an ovenproof dish of about 20 × 30 cm, spread half the purée, cover with the beef and then the rest of the purée, smoothing it with the back of a spoon. Scatter the mozzarella over the top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and browned in patches. Rest for 5 minutes before cutting so the layers hold.

Shopping tip

Minced beef and grated mozzarella are at every chain. For a more north-eastern escondidinho, swap the potatoes for the same weight of fresh or frozen cassava, boiled for 25 to 30 minutes.