Leylie’s Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 4 You will need:

1 onion, peeled and chopped 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 900g minced beef 1 tablespoon Bovril, dissolved in a little hot water 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 sprigs of thyme 1 teaspoon tomato puree 3 carrots, peeled and diced 400ml chicken stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.3kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 200ml single cream 110g butter 1 egg yolk Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish 1 In a large pan, gently saute the chopped onions in the vegetable oil for about 10 minutes, until they are soft but not brown. 2 Add the minced beef, a little at a time, and cook it until it is browned. Then add the Bovril water, the Worcestershire sauce, the thyme sprigs, the tomato puree, the diced carrots, the chicken stock, and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3 Cook on a low heat for 50 minutes, then transfer to a pie dish, ready for the mashed potato. Preheat your oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. 4 Cook the potato chunks in boiling salted water until they are tender. Drain them well, then return them to the saucepan and add the single cream, the butter, the egg yolk and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mash well, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 5 Cover the mince mixture with the mashed potato and run a fork over the top for decoration. Place the pie in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until it is heated through and the potato is nicely browned on top. Garnish with the chopped fresh parsley and serve. 6 The pie can be prepared in advance and left to cool. Reheating it later will take about 40 minutes.