Recipe of the Month

Savoury Mince Pie.

Ingredients

1lb lean minced beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, skins removed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
12ozs short crust pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan.
Fry the onion for about 5 minutes without browning.
Add the minced beef and fry for a further 6 minutes until it is just cooked.
Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 45 minutes checking that the mixture does not stick.
Roll out the pastry and line your chosen pie dish, making sure to reserve enough pastry for the lid.
Place the filling onto the pastry and spread it out evenly, leaving a good margin of pastry all around the pie dish.
Roll out the reserved pastry to make a lid, sealing the edges with a little milk.
Make a slit with a sharp knife in the middle of the pie.
Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg.
Bake at 220°C for about 15 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 180°C.and bake for another 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

The pie can be eaten hot but is also nice cold, with a green salad.