MINCE AND CHEESE PIE
750g prime beef mince2 tbsp olive oil...
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3 sheets Edmonds butter puff pastry
100g tasty cheddar cheese, chopped into 2cm chunks
1 egg yolk, whisked
METHOD
Heat a large frying pan and brown mince in batches, transfer to a large saucepan once it is well browned.
Heat olive oil in the frying pan and genlty cook onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 5-10 minutes until onions are tender.
Transfer vegetables to the saucepan and add stock and tomato paste. If using a good quality stock you will need to add salt whereas commercial stocks are often salty so if using then wait to taste before seasoning.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours, topping up with a little water if mixture gets too dry.
Rub butter into flour until you get a smooth ball, you may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Gradually add small balls of mxture into the mince and allow to dissolve and thicken the mince. Once you get to the desired thickness of sauce then you won’t need to add any more.
Simmer for a further 15 minutes to cook the flour and then remove from the heat. Once cool, refrigerate until cold.
Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a 24 cm flan pan with pastry. Spoon over cold mince (you will have some left over) and then scatter with cheese.
Top with pastry, sealing edges well. Brush pastry with egg.
Cook for 30 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden
