Serves 6

• 3 onions, chopped
• Beef dripping – or rapeseed oil (olive oil is also fine, but if you use that don’t moan about my use of tomato and garlic!)
• 2 garlic cloves
• Mixed vegetables – celeriac, parsnip, turnip, swede (rutabaga), carrots, leeks, celery and mushrooms. I used 3 large flat mushrooms, 3 carrots, 2 leeks and 2 sticks of celery.
• 500g/1lb good quality minced beef/ground beef. (You get what you pay for.)
• A splurge of tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 300ml of liquid – water or red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
• Salt (I used Malden Sea Salt) and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

For the Mashed Potato Topping:

• 1 kg/2¼lb of floury potatoes
• 50g/½ stick of unsalted butter
• 150ml full-fat/whole milk
• Small knobs of butter

Brown the minced beef/ground beef i a large asserole dish. When it’s starting to take on some colour, tip into a bowl and put on one side.

In the same, unwashed pan, soften the chopped onions. You want soft, but not coloured. Then add the garlic and your choice of vegetables. After about 5 minutes, return the beef to the casserole dish. Add the tomato puree and the flour. Stir until all the juices have been absorbed by the flour.

Add your liquid. You want a loose texture (unless you’re cooking on an Aga when you’ll need about 150ml). Add the seasoning and the herbs. Cover. Cook very gently for 2 hours, by which time it will be dark and unctuous. Add the Worcestershire Sauce and the cayenne pepper. Taste. If all is good, transfer to your baking/serving dish and leave on one side.

Wash and peel the floury potatoes. Place large even pieces in cold salted water and bring up to boiling point. Lower the temperature. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain. Place a clean tea towel on top and allow the steam to be absorbed. Meanwhile heat the milk and dice the butter.

Put the milk and butter into a large bowl and, using a potato ricer, squeeze in the potato. Season well. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.

Place the mashed potato on top of the beef mixture and spread to cover. Fork the top and dot with butter.

Place in an oven – Gas Mark 3/160ºC/140ºC Fan/325ºF/Aga Roasting oven – fourth runners – for about 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve with a green vegetable. Eat.