Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Brown the beef:

• Heat the neutral oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 12–15 minutes until browned. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Turn the heat to high and cook for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up the edges of the beef. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Strain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.

Cook the vegetables:

• Add the yellow onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the gravy:

• Add the tomato paste and the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, mashing the paste into the vegetables as it cooks.
• Add the flour and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add red wine and turn the heat to medium-high, stirring to lift up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.
• Return the beef to the pot along with the fig jam, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, taste, and season the gravy with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes until thickened. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or beef stock if the liquid reduces too quickly.
• Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Make the potatoes:

• Add the potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring them to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes into a fine-mesh sieve.

Rice the potatoes, optional:

• If you have a ricer, rice the potatoes. Alternatively, place the sieve over a large bowl, use a spatula or a large measuring cup, and press the potatoes through the sieve.

Prepare the mashed potatoes:

• Add the melted butter, milk, and white pepper to the potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt.
• Prepare the cottage pie: Grease a baking dish with butter, if needed. Pour the gravy into the baking dish and spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes on top. Smooth it out with the back of your spoon.
• Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.

Broil the cottage pie, optional:

• Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the mashed potatoes. Turn on the broiler and broil the dish until the potatoes turn golden brown on top, 2–3 minutes. Remove from the broiler and let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly minced parsley.

To serve:

• Spoon the cottage onto plates. Enjoy with the rest of the wine!