Traditional British meat pie

Making the meat pie filling – 20 minutes + waiting time

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves.

Peel the carrots and cut into chinks, not too large. Wash the leeks and cut into thin half moons.

Heat a knob of butter in a deep frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add the minced beef and fry until browned.

Add the carrots and leeks and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the carrots and leeks start to soften. Add the peas.

Season with a beef stock cube, Worcestershire sauce, herbes de Provence, black pepper and salt.

Add a tablespoon of flour and fry a little more to cook out the flour flavour and bind the moisture from the vegetables. Let the filling cool completely.

Making the pastry – 10 minutes + waiting time

Beat one egg and set aside.

Mix the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Dice the cold butter and gradually add it to the flour while continuing to mix.

The dough will look crumbly. Add half of the cold water and keep mixing.

Gradually add the rest of the water along with a little of the beaten egg (about a quarter egg).

Keep mixing until a soft pastry dough forms, making sure the dough does not become sticky. Wrap the dough with cling film and place it in the fridge for half an hour.

Finishing the British meat pie – 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a pie dish with butter.

Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour and divide the pastry dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out 1 piece into a large circle just a little larger than the pie dish.

Place the pastry circle in the pie dish, making sure it extends slightly over the edge, but not too much. Spread the filling over the pastry base, and brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg.

Roll out the second piece of pastry dough into a large circle, just slightly larger than the pie dish. Place the dough over the pie filling, press the edges together well and cut away any excess pastry dough. You can use the excess dough to decorate the pie, if you like.

Use a knife to make a hole in the centre of the pie, this will allow the steam from the filling to escape during baking. Use a small knife to crimp the rim of the pastry.

Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg and bake the meat pie for around 45 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. The exact baking time depends on your oven and the thickness of the pastry. Enjoy your meal!