ETHNIC COOK : The King of Leftovers

It was George Lacey’s grandmother who taught him how to make a meal of leftovers. She’d take the remainders of Sunday dinner--cold pot roast and mashed potatoes--and make Old English Cottage Pie. Years later, Lacey, who was born in London and now lives in Calabasas, still makes the pie.

It’s so good that he sometimes doesn’t wait for leftovers. He just browns some ground beef and boils a batch of potatoes, which he mashes with lots of butter, cream and cheese.

Sometimes Lacey tucks mushrooms into the pie or pipes the potatoes in fancy shapes over the top. For company, he underlines each serving with rich gravy pepped up with horseradish and freshly ground pepper.

“People are amazed,” says Lacey, who has taught cooking in New Orleans and San Francisco. “They aren’t sure what’s coming to the table. They think I’m bringing out a cake.”

There’s lots more you can do with this dish. Lacey’s grandmother added a bottom crust of flaky pastry. You can also combine pork with the beef or experiment with different types of potatoes, even yams.

OLD ENGLISH COTTAGE PIE

2 pounds lean ground beef or mixture of ground beef and pork

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely grated

Salt, pepper

4 ears corn

Butter

Mashed Potatoes

3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Paprika

Brown ground beef in heavy skillet, stirring to keep crumbly. Stir in onion and carrot and cook until onion is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn mixture into colander lined with paper towels to drain as much grease as possible. Set aside.

Steam ears of corn until tender. When cool enough to handle, carefully cut kernels from cobs and set aside.

Lightly butter bottom and sides of shallow rectangular 4-quart baking dish. Add 2 cups Mashed Potatoes and press to form bottom “crust.” Add drained beef mixture and spread to cover potatoes. Add layer of Cheddar cheese and top with corn kernels. Cover with remaining 6 cups Mashed Potatoes. Sprinkle on any remaining Cheddar cheese and lightly dust with paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 45 minutes. If desired, place under broiler to form crisp crust. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 large servings.

Mashed Potatoes

5 large russet potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons butter

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 (16-ounce) container large-curd cottage cheese

1 cup finely shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes until just tender when tested with fork. Drain and return to pan at once. Add butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add whipping cream to potatoes, then mash. Blend in cottage and Swiss cheeses, then taste and adjust seasonings.

There should be about 8 cups potato mixture. Divide into 2-cup and 6-cup portions and set aside. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving with mashed potatoes contains about:

749 calories; 779 mg sodium; 169 mg cholesterol; 49 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 58% calories from fat.