Corned beef and Potato Pie

Corned Beef & Potato Pie

A rich & hearty pie packed full of flavour.  Very easy to make with store cupboard ingredients suitable for quickly rustling up for surprise guests!  Delicious!!

Serves 6

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

For the pastry

300g/10½oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling

good pinch sea salt

175g/6oz cold butter, cubed

1 free-range egg

(or use ready prepared short-crust pastry)

For the filling

15g/½oz butter

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 large onion, sliced or chopped

2 celery sticks, trimmed, peeled to remove stringy bits, sliced

2 medium carrots, cut into 1cm/½in dice

300g/10½oz potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in dice

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp marmite

1 x 340g/11¾oz can corned beef

freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.       To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

2.      Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl. Slowly pour all but one tablespoon of the egg mixture into the food processor whilst blending until the mixture begins to form a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge.

3.      For the filling, melt the butter with the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened, stirring regularly. The carrots should have a little bite.

4.      Add the ketchup, marmite, Worcestershire sauce and stir into the vegetables for a few seconds before adding the corned beef. Break the beef into chunky pieces with a wooden spoon and mix with the vegetables.

5.      Season with pepper and remove from the heat. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.

6.      Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

7.      Put the pastry onto a well-floured work surface and bring it together into a ball. Take about a third of the pastry, roll it out and use it to line a 23cm/9in pie plate or 20cm/8in round ceramic quiche dish. Leave any excess pastry overhanging the edge. Brush the pastry edge lightly with the reserved egg.

8.      Empty the filling into the pastry base and spread it out evenly. Flour the surface once more and roll out the remaining pastry. Lift the rolled pastry over the rolling pin and place gently over the filling. Press the edges firmly together then trim neatly. Seal the edge with a fork.

9.      Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining beaten egg, cut a cross in the centre of the pie and place onto a baking tray. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling is piping hot.