Name: War-time meat pies with mashed potato pastry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Beef
Ingredients: 2 Tbs vegetable oil; 1 onion finely chopped; 2 carrots large, grated; 1.5 kg lean minced beef ground beef; 350 ml wine white or red; 4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; sprig fresh thyme; 1 Tbs dried oregano or fresh rosemary; 2 Tbs tomato paste; 2 Tbs soy sauce dark; 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 450 g potatoes; 125 g butter melted; 2 cup flour sifted; 2 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp mustard powder hot English; 1 tsp salt to taste; white pepper; 1 cup cheddar cheese grated; eggs beaten

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Ingredients (21)

For the filling:

2 Tbs	vegetable oil
1	onion — finely chopped
2	carrots — large, grated
1.5 kg	lean minced beef — ground beef
350 ml	wine — white or red
4 cloves	garlic — cloves, peeled and crushed
sprig	fresh thyme
1 Tbs	dried oregano — or fresh rosemary
2 Tbs	tomato paste
2 Tbs	soy sauce — dark
2 Tbs	Worcestershire sauce
	salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry:

450 g	potatoes
125 g	butter — melted
2 cup	flour — sifted
2 tsp	Baking powder
1 tsp	mustard powder — hot English
1 tsp	salt — to taste
	white pepper
1 cup	cheddar cheese — grated
	eggs — beaten

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Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and grated carrot until
just softened. Turn up the heat to its maximum and crumble in the
minced beef, in batches, stirring well as it browns. Drain away any
excess fat (a good way to do this is to tip the whole lot into a large
sieve set over a bowl). Add the wine and the garlic and cook briskly
until most of the wine has evaporated. Now stir in all the remaining
filling ingredients. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for an
hour, or until the mixture is slightly thickened. If it looks a little
dry, add some water or chicken stock.

To make the pastry, boil
the potatoes in plenty of salted water until quite tender. Drain.
Pour in the melted butter and mash until smooth. Sift the flour,
mustard powder, baking powder, salt and pepper into a separate bowl.
Now add the flour, in increments, to the mashed potato, stirring well
to form a pliable soft dough. You may not need all of it – this will
depend on the size and floury-ness of the potatoes you used. Add the
cheese, if you are using it.

Flour a pastry board well and lightly roll the pastry out to a
thickness of about 7 mm. Cut out circles the same size as your muffin
tins or flan case (use a cookie cutter, or cut around the base of an
upturned bowl). Gently press the pastry onto the base and sides of the
tins. Brush the rims with a little beaten egg and fill the cases with
the mince. Gather up all the pastry, roll it out again, and cut out
enough’ lids’ to cover all the pies. Drape the lids over the pies and,
using your fingers, gently seal the edges. Brush all over with beaten
egg. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie. Place in a hot oven and
bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.

Reprinted with the permission of “Scrumptious South Africa“. Visit “Scrumptious South Africa” here for more recipes.