Savoury Pies - Shepherd's Pie

One of my blogging friends, Ivy of Kopiaste, is hosting a food event called Savoury Pies. As the name suggests, to participate, you need to make and post about a savoury pie by 30 September.

For my entry, I have decided to make a savoury pie with a savoury mince filling and single mashed potato and parsnip crust - known here as shepherd's pie. My recipe is from the Australian Heart Foundation's New Classic Cookbook by Loukie Werle, so has the advantage of being a somewhat healthy pie. I added minced chickpeas (don't ask!!! I needed to get rid of them somehow) and frozen peas to the meat filling, making my version of the pie a complete meal in itself.

To make this hearty dish, you will need:

Filling

3 teaspoons canola oil
2 chopped onions
600g lean beef mince
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup red wine
pepper to taste

Topping

500g peeled and chopped parsnips
500g peeled and chopped potatoes
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
425g tin chickpeas, drained and minced (optional)

Filling

Heat the oil in a large frypan, then cook the onions in it until soft. Add the mince and cook until it has just browned, then add the chickpeas, peas, Worcestershire sauce, cloves, pepper and wine and bring to the boil. Switch back the heat to a simmer, cover the frypan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.

Topping

Boil the potatoes and parsnips until soft. Drain them, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Mash the cooked potatoes and parsnips, then stir through the oil and pepper to taste, and enough of the reserved cooking water to make a smooth consistency.

Assembly

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Put the meat in a cassserole dish sprayed lightly with cooking oil. Place the filling in the bottom and spread the potato/parsnip topping over it. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and combine with the remaining teaspoon of oil, then sprinkle over the top of the pie. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, until the top is crisp. Remove from the oven and serve.

Perhaps this is not the prettiest picture in the world, but this pie is robust and filling - just what I need after a hard day at work. I like to serve it with tomato sauce (ketchup) for extra flavour.

Thanks to Ivy for hosting the Savoury Pies event. You can find the truly astonishing variety of savoury pies in the roundup here.