Meat and potato pie

Special equipment • 1 qt (1.1 liter)

pie dish or 4 small individual pie dishes

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

3 all-purpose waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1½lb (675g) round, chuck, or Swiss steak

about 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups hot beef stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

half of a 17.3oz (425g) box frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed as package directs

1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

1 Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside. Put the meat in a large frying pan with a few drops of olive oil and cook over high heat for 5–8 minutes until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Using the same pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for a few minutes longer.

2 Increase the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and return the meat to the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Stir in the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spoon the meat filling into a 1 quart (1.1 liter) pie dish or 4 individual ones. On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry so there is a border all around, extending about 2in (5cm) beyond the pie dish. Cut out a strip of 1in (2.5cm) pastry in from the edge to make a collar. Moisten the edge of the pie dish with a little water; fit the pastry strip all the way around, and press down firmly. Brush the pastry collar with a little of the egg wash, then top with the pastry lid. Trim away the excess. Using your finger and thumb, pinch the edges together to seal.

4 Brush the top of the pie all over with the egg wash, and make 2 slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve hot.

Meat and potato pie