I was wrong to write about Mrs R’s corned beef pie

I am required under the provisions of the Peace and Harmony At ‘Ome Act, 1963, to apologise to Mrs R.

The other day, I wrote, in glowing terms I might add, about her delicious homemade corned beef pie.

I reported that she made it with an egg on top, evidently a culinary faux pas that upset reader John Newsinger in Brighton. “Sacrilege!” he protested.

There was an egg, John, but it was beaten and brushed on top of the pastry to give it a certain, er, well any cook will know what I mean. It’s possible that my slipshod reporting suggested a fried egg dolloped on top of the pie, which would have looked ridiculous.

I apologise unreservedly (as they always say these days when they don’t mean it) to Mrs R, and any reader who may have got the wrong egg-impression.

In fact, she was only following the recipe in a magazine, with some amendment, like no pastry base.

It called for a brushed egg on top and that’s what it got.

I can’t say this little extra fol-de-rol improved the taste of the dish, but I can say it’ll be a long time before I write about her cooking again.

Well, not without first taking the copy out of the oven and showing it to her before I offer it for the delectation of my editors.

Peace’n’armony in the household is much too precious to be put at risk with a slapdash commentary on kitchen drama, however temptingly entertaining.

And now I’ll pay the appropriate fine for my offence: picking up fish and chips for tea, the modern equivalent of Barney Rubble bringing food home to the cave for Wilma. Yabba Dabba Doo!