Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie
serves 4

Ingredients
100g/4oz unsmoked streaky bacon,
cut into strips
450g/1lb lean beef mince
2 tablespoons olive oil
225g/8oz onion, diced
175g/6oz carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
150ml/5fl oz red wine
300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
450g/1lb canned chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
900g/2lb mashed potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Fry the streaky bacon in a hot frying pan until it is almost crisp, then transfer to a heavy saucepan. Brown the beef in the frying pan, then add to the same saucepan.
• Add the olive oil to the bacon fat, and sweat the onion, carrot and garlic until soft but not brown, adding them to the saucepan when done.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.
• Deglaze the frying pan with the red wine, and add this to the saucepan,topping up to cover with the stock. Add the tomatoes and their liquid,bay leaf, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and tomato ketchup. Stir, bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, over a very low heat for 3 hours,seasoning with salt and pepper halfway through.
• Put the contents of the saucepan into a deep rectangular ovenproof dish,cover with the mashed potatoes and brown in the oven for 20 minutes.Serve hot.