Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
4 tbsp oil
3 onions
500g beef mince
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
Pinch dried thyme
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Roughly 300mls strong beef stock
Salt
Pepper
For the mashed potato topping
750g potatoes, raw weight cooked and mashed, but warm
150mls hot milk (approx)
50g butter or olive oil
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Method
1. Heat the oil and add the onion and cook for 10 minutes to slightly brown.
2. Add the mince and break up well.
3. Cook until all the moisture has evaporated and the mince starts to brown in the oil.
4. Once well browned, add the garlic and flour and mix well to soak up any fat and continue to cook until the flour browns well on the bottom of the pan.
5. Next add the tomato puree, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and enough stock to just cover the meat.
6. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for 20-25 minutes (gently or the flour will catch) - stir occasionally.
7. When the mix is fairly thick pour or spoon into a baking dish and leave to cool.
8. Whisk the hot milk, butter or oil and nutmeg into the mashed potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. The mash should not be too creamy, but soft.
9. Spoon the mash onto the cooled, set mince and fluff up with a fork.
10. When ready, reheat in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and slightly crunchy.
Different flavourings to use in your mash topping
- Add half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg or mace and beat well.
- Add 1 small onion and 2 cloves garlic crushed and sauted in butter for 15 minutes.
- Add chopped black olives and fresh chopped basil.
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