MINCE AND POTATO PIE

This pie brings back memories of family dinners in England. This pie was often addressed as ‘chip pie’?  What I like about this pie is the use of cheap cuts of meat and with the addition of potatoes it makes the pie go that bit further.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Pastry 

350g flour

200g butter, cubed

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp cold water, plus 1 egg beaten for glazing pie

Filling

1kg beef mince

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, sliced thinly 

250g potatoes, peeled, sliced thinly

250g swede, peeled sliced thinly into small pieces

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

1 beef stock cube

water

Method

Begin by making the pastry.  Put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven 180C

Add the oil to a fry pan and sweat off the onion for 5 minutes.

Add the onion to a large bowl and add the mince.

Add the sliced potato and swede, season well with the salt and pepper.  Mix all together with your hands.

Loosely place the meat and vegetable mix into your pie dish 30x20 cm.

Crumble over the stock cube and pour over enough water to just cover the mince.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Roll out your pastry to comfortably cover the pie dish. 

Remove the pie from the oven and carefully lay the pastry over the dish and ease it so the pastry fits nicely.  Do not stretch the pastry as this will encourage shrinking.

Press the sides of the pastry against the sides of the dish, cut off the overhang and pleat the sides or use a fork so they look attractive.

Glaze the surface of the pie with the lightly beaten egg.

Bake for 25 minutes.  If the pastry becomes too dark, cover loosely with foil. 

Allow to cool slightly and serve alongside cabbage and a jug of gravy.