Zoë Bowyer

Recipe from Real Cooking by Nigel Slater

Serves 4
For the filling:

• 2 medium sized leeks, or onions, chopped
• a medium sized carrot, diced
• a decent knob of butter
• 4 medium sized brown mushrooms, sliced
• 450g minced roast lamb or raw lamb mince
• flour
• a tablespoon tomato puree
• 250ml hot lamb stock (one oxo cube)
• bay leaf
• sprig of thyme
• worcestershire sauce

In a large pan, cook the chopped leeks or onions and the diced carrots with the butter until they are meltingly soft and golden. If they have caught slightly at the edges then all to the good. This is the savoury base on which you are making your pie filling, so it is best not to hurry. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, then stir in the minced meat. The meat must brown a little here and there, so do not stir it too often. Leave to cook for five minutes or so, breaking it up as necessary.

Add a casual sprinkling of flour (about a tablespoon) and the tomato puree. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, for three or four minutes. Pour on the hot stock, throw in the bay leaf and a sprig of thyme if you have them, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer very gently for a good twenty five minutes. The mixture should not really bubble, just occasionally ‘bloop’ at you. Season the filling as it cooks with salt, worcestershire sauce (about a tablespoon) and a few grinds of black pepper. be generous.

For the topping:

• 900g large parsnips, peeled
• 2 medium sized onion, sliced
• a thick slice of butter, about 50g
• a large pinch of ground cumin
• a teaspoon of freshly ground coriander seeds
• a tablespoon of garam masala
• more butter for mashing, about 50g

While the meat is cooking cut the parsnips into large chunks and simmer them until tender, about fifteen to twenty minutes. While they are cooking fry the onions in the butter over a moderate heat until soft and translucent. Stir in the spices and continue cooking for two minutes till all is fragrant. Drain the parsnips when they are tender, mash them with a potato masher, stirring in the butter and some salt and black pepper, then the spiced onions.

Scoop the meat mixture into a large baking dish. Spoon dollops of mashed parsnip over the top, and bake for twenty-five minutes at 190C/375F/Gas 5, till golden brown and caught a little on the peaks.